Asbestos Removal in North West London

Asbestos waste is a toxic material that was used extensively throughout the 20th century during construction work. It was used as a construction material due to its robust natural properties that include resistance to water, fire, chemicals and biological degradation. It was used primarily for insulation as well as in boilers and pipes, in car brakes, floor tiles and in shed and garage roofs. The use of asbestos reached a peak during the 1960s-1980s and so it is not uncommon to come across the substance when carrying out construction or DIY work in your home or place of work, leading to an increase in recent decades of asbestos removal.

The health risks linked to asbestos and asbestos collection have been known since as early as the 1940s. Despite this, it was not completely banned in the UK until 1999. Asbestos is composed of six naturally occurring minerals and has been on this earth for hundreds of years.

There are two types of asbestos; Serpentine (white asbestos) and Amphibole (blue and brown asbestos), the latter of which is more harmful. White asbestos was more widely used and, despite being less toxic than amphibole, it is still highly dangerous to handle.

It is estimated that there are around 50% of houses that contain asbestos in some form. Nevertheless, it was suggested through a BBC survey that 50% of homeowners are unaware that asbestos was even used as a building material, and 45% of homeowners would not know how to identify asbestos waste if they came across it in their homes showing that asbestos awareness is relatively low within society.

Many London councils do not offer an asbestos removal service and instead refer their residents to the City of London Hazardous Waste Disposal Service. The West Central area councils are no exception to this. There are also a number of private companies that offer asbestos removal as well as asbestos surveying services.

At Wayst, we work with trusted service providers who are licenced to handle asbestos and strictly follow the hazardous waste handling regulations that have been set out by the health and safety executive and we will provide you with all the correct documentation throughout the waste clearance and disposal so that you know your asbestos waste has been disposed of legally and responsibly.

Asbestos recycling is not an option in the UK, all asbestos waste must be disposed of in landfill, which makes the substance not only dangerous for human health but also for the environment.

Exposure to asbestos waste can also cause serious long term, and sometimes fatal, illnesses that particularly impact the lungs. When it is unbroken and in whole sheets, the substance poses little to no risk and asbestos removal may not be necessary. It can often be left where it is as long as it has been sprayed with an adhesive so that it is ‘sealed’. Asbestos becomes hazardous when it is broken or disturbed and small fibres are released into the air.

Once inhaled or ingested, these small fibres create scars in the lung tissue that then develop into serious respiratory issues which can then lead on to more complicated, sometimes fatal diseases, the symptoms of which may not show for 20-30 years.

We strongly recommend that you do not try to check for asbestos yourself, or try asbestos removal in your home to closely examine it. Asbestos can be identified visually. It is either white, grey, blue or brown, however, this is an unreliable form of identification as the colour of the material can sometimes be affected if it is covered in dust or debris. If you suspect you have found asbestos waste in your property, leave it where it is and secure the area so that the least amount of people are coming into contact with it. You can contact your local council for advice on asbestos removal and testing, however, council services can be time consuming which is particularly concerning when dealing with hazardous materials like asbestos.

At Wayst, we can give you expert advice on how to deal with asbestos if you think you may have found it in your home and how to find a legitimate asbestos surveyor who will safely assess any materials. Our asbestos surveyors can take a small sample of the suspected asbestos and send it to a secure site where it can be assessed.

We strongly advise against attempting to remove asbestos yourself. You are legally permitted to remove small amounts of asbestos yourself if you are the property owner, however, this is still extremely dangerous and we would not recommend handling the substance yourself. Do not try to deconstruct or break up asbestos as this will release many fibres into the air.

Sometimes asbestos can be left where it is instead of being removed. In this instance, it will be sprayed with an adhesive so that it is ‘sealed’ and can no longer release fibres.

The various North West London councils recommend the services of the City of London Hazardous Waste Disposal Service to remove your asbestos as they do not offer asbestos collection themselves. The City of London collects small amounts of asbestos from residential buildings, however, they do not collect asbestos from commercial buildings, construction sites or schools and also do not wrap the materials or place them in secure containers, which is an integral part of asbestos removal.

At Wayst, we can connect you with professional asbestos removal service providers who will offer you a thorough and safe service and provide you with all of the correct documentation so you can rest assured that the asbestos from your property has not been left anywhere where it may cause harm and damage. They will wrap, package, remove and dispose of asbestos safely and carefully.

Due to the hazardous nature of asbestos, it puts those handling it at an extremely high risk, therefore, it can be a costly service. Asbestos removal can cost anything from £200-£10,000+VAT depending on where it is and how much needs to be removed.

At Wayst, we can give you expert advice on roughly how much removing asbestos from your property may cost, and advice on how to find the best possible quote.

Any asbestos surveyor or removal company must have the correct licenses and permits that allow them to be handling hazardous materials. You must ensure that you research any service provider before you use them. If asbestos is not disposed of properly, you will be held accountable and could face legal action. If a service provider is irresponsible with hazardous materials, you will also be considered responsible for this breach of regulations and so it is imperative to find a team of trusted employees.