It is almost impossible to tell whether a piece of material contains asbestos just by looking at it. If you are about to start a renovation project or feel uneasy about certain materials in your home it’s best to be 100% certain that you’re safe. A qualified asbestos removal specialist should do asbestos sampling for analysis given the ease at which disturbed asbestos can release harmful fibres into the air. However, if you wish to take samples yourself there are a number of do-it-yourself kits available on the market.
Each kit provider will have procedures in place to correctly and safely gather samples. At a minimum, anybody sampling materials potentially containing asbestos should observe the following:-
- Shut down any ventilation systems, air conditioning and heating ducts to minimise the potential spread of asbestos fibres.
- Make sure nobody is in the room or enters the room until sampling and cleanup is complete.
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Before doing any renovations in a home that was built more than 20 years ago it is recommended that you get a professional asbestos contractor or at least use a do-it-yourself asbestos test kit to determine what your house is actually made from to avoid any exposure with asbestos.
There are not a lot of asbestos test kits on the market and the main reason for this is to leave this hazardous task to experts in the field. There is one popular testing kit available at Amazon.com from PRO-LAB. It is only $12.99 and will provide a result utilizing Polarized Light Microscopy within 2 weeks. This kit can identify asbestos fibres to as little as 1% content by weight and are more sensitive than EPA guidelines require.
You can find out more information about the test kit by clicking here.
Asbestos Test Kit in Australia
This looks like a variation of the above kit from Amazon.com but perfect for those in Australia looking for a quick answer to whether their home contains Asbestos.
This kit contains all the necessary equipment to safely sample and formally identify suspect asbestos materials around the home or work place. Includes forwarding of a certificate of analysis from a NATA Accredited Laboratory.
You can find more information about this kit as well as a lot of other Asbestos information at Australian Asbestos Removal Services
Mail-in Asbestos Test Kits
Even though the above kit will do the job, it is still strongly recommended that you use a professional laboratory to conduct the testing – even if you collect the sample yourself.
Companies such as Pro House Dr provide collection kits that you use to safely send your suspected asbestos sample back to their EPA approved laboratory. They will send back a thorough analysis as well as advice on how to deal with the Asbestos to reduce your risk of exposure. This process is more expensive than the PRO-LAB’s Asbestos Test Kit listed above but does provide piece of mind.
