All You Need to Know about Asbestos

Newcastle, NSW asbestos removal

When it comes to learning a few things about asbestos, majority of the world are either not interested or are too lazy to even bother about it. In fact, asbestos is known to cause certain health issues with the likes of chest pains, breathing difficulty etc. Therefore, it is absolutely crucial to have some knowledge about asbestos that will keep you and your loved ones safe. Learning FAQs on asbestos is one of the best ways to help you learn more on this material. 

  1. How Long has Asbestos Being Existing? – The existence of asbestos stretches far as back as the 1940’s and 1980’s. This material was known to be used in the construction of houses and structures. In fact, countries like Australia, USA and UK relied heavily on the use of asbestos. Historically, it was the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians who used to make basic home items with the use of asbestos.
  2. Why was Asbestos Banned? – Although asbestos had its fair share of advantages, it was banned for a few reasons. With researchers from all over the world studies on asbestos and came to conclusion that asbestos was highly dangerous and caused health issues. Some of the issues include chest pains, difficulty while breathing and even lung cancer. It was this reason that led to asbestos getting banned.
  3. Why was Asbestos so Popular? – Back in the early days asbestos was known to be popular due to holding certain properties or characteristics. Some of its characteristics included highly resistant to heat, electricity, chemicals and more. Countries like Russia, India and China still use asbestos currently. 

However, it is still recommended to do asbestos removal in Newcastle, NSW region from a professional.

How to Identify Asbestos?

testing in Newcastle asbestos

Even though Asbestos has been banned in Australia it still is very much present. Back in the mid-nineties, this highly harmful mineral was being incorporated into thousands of essential products. Due to how cheap it was being sold; manufacturers turned to this mineral overlooking the already undergoing researches that were looking into the toxicity of the mineral.

If the building or house you are currently residing in is built before the year 2000, there is a possibility that you would come across asbestos products. Asbestos was used in everything from pipeline systems to water heaters and even wall paint. But identifying asbestos is very tricky since it is never used as a direct substance and in fact, incorporated into various products. Naturally asbestos can be white, blue, green, or brown but as it is mixed with other materials and then painted over it becomes hard to even notice. Asbestos is said to have no taste and smell and anyways smelling any product you suspect to have asbestos is not recommended as it directly puts you at risk of inhaling the harmful microfibres. 

Sometimes sheets that contain asbestos found within ceilings, walls, and even flooring can be identified due to their fibrous texture. But most of the time asbestos is very hard to notice and therefore it is advised to know and study the history of your current place of residence. Be aware of crumbling drywall, cracked sidings or flooring/roofing tiles, and damaged shingles around your house. It is always best to get those areas inspected.

If you are having trouble recognising asbestos, get professional help for asbestos testing in Newcastle. But don’t wait and do this soon.

Popular Types of Asbestos

in Newcastle asbestos

During its natural state, asbestos is a material comprising of soft and fluffy appearance. Due to this appearance, asbestos has a soft consistency which gives it some unique properties. Some of the properties of asbestos include resistance to chemical and heat corrosion, electricity, acting as an insulator when mixed with plastic and paper. In the early, the properties allowed asbestos to be widely used in the construction of different structures and were quite popular. However, the popularity soon became a nightmare as researchers from all over the world revealed that asbestos was capable of causing some serious health issues. Asbestos was popular due to its types.

  1. Chrysotile –Chrysotile is the most popular type of asbestos that is found on the roofs, ceilings, walls, and floors of a structure. Chrysotile has another name called white asbestos.
  2. Amosite – The second popular type of asbestos is amosite which is also known as brown asbestos. You can find this type of asbestos on sheets of cement, products related to asbestos, ceilings, etc.
  3. Crocidolite – In the early days, traditional steal engines that needed protection was offered by crocidolite. Additionally, crocidolite was also used in plastics, types of cement, pipe insulation, etc.
  4. Tremolite and Actinolite – Tremolite and actinolite was the least popular types of asbestos. The reason behind the less popularity was because of the ability to cause contamination in various chrysotile asbestos, vermiculture, etc.

Although these are the most common types of asbestos, this material is still considered to be dangerous. Therefore, the removal of asbestos in Newcastle should be strictly carried out by a professional asbestos removal contractor.

Various Types of Asbestos

Newcastle asbestos testing

Asbestos is a thin material that has a fluffy and soft appearance easily seen when observed during its natural state. Due to this appearance, asbestos has a softer consistency. Moreover, asbestos is one of those materials that is known to be highly resistant to damages from electricity, heat, and even chemical corrosion. In the early days, these properties of asbestos gave the popularity. However, the popularity did not last long as researchers managed to study that asbestos was considered to be a dangerous material to our health. Regardless of this, few countries do use this material even today which is possible due to these types.

  1. Chrysotile – This one is the most popular type of asbestos. Chrysotile is found on the surface of the walls, floors, roofs, and ceilings inside a structure. Chrysotile also has another name called as white asbestos due to its appearance.
  2. Amosite –This type of asbestos is known to be present on ceilings, insulation products, cement sheets, etc. Amosite also has another name called as brown asbestos.
  3. Crocidolite –This type of asbestos was used in the traditional steam engine in order to offer protection. Moreover, crocidolite is used in the insulation of pipes, plastics, and cement.
  4. Tremolite and Actinolite –Probably tremolite and actinolite are the 2 least popular types of asbestos known to man. Along with their least popularity these 2 asbestos types were known to cause contamination to different types of asbestos on coming in contact.

These are probably the most commonly known types of asbestos. Therefore, if you ever find asbestos in your house, calling a professional is the first thing to do. The professional will perform asbestos testing in Newcastle and other areas in Australia.