Asbestos Testing London

EnviroHive provides asbestos testing services throughout London and the surrounding home counties, we are able to test any material for the presence of asbestos and carryout an asbestos check on any material or property.

The process for asbestos testing is simple and will involve our surveyor attending the property in order to take samples of the suspect material. This requires taking of a small amount of the material away which is then subject to asbestos testing within the laboratory using two different specialist microscopes to confirm whether asbestos is present in the material and also what types of asbestos are present. The 3 commonly found asbestos types are Chrysotile (white asbestos), Amosite (brown asbestos) and Crocidolite (blue asbestos). Asbestos Containing Materials (ACM’s) is the term used to cover all asbestos materials and it is common for there to be more than 1 type of asbestos in a given material. Asbestos testing or sampling of a given material is referred to as “bulk sampling” and once a visit to the property has been completed the laboratory will then report on each and every sample which has been taken on an individual basis with a certificate of analysis produced. Asbestos testing as a standalone service differs from asbestos surveying in that it is very much results orientated with a certificate confirming or refuting the presence of asbestos through microscopy analysis rather than an asbestos survey goes further by interpreting the findings and provides recommendations. All samples are sent to a UKAS accredited laboratory for testing independent of ourselves in order to avoid any conflict of interest. Results are usually available within 48 hrs showing either a positive or negative result for the presence of asbestos and the asbestos type.

We are also able to test for asbestos in soils and other organic materials or construction based wastes.

If you suspect a material to contain asbestos or require advice on asbestos containing materials please contact us and one of our surveyors will be happy to discuss your requirements.

Do you need professional asbestos testing services that are fast, professional and accurate? If so, then EnviroHive can provide you with these asbestos testing services throughout London, Greater London and the surrounding counties.

Our team of highly trained and experienced asbestos surveyors have been sampling asbestos-containing materials for over 30 years. We are able to test any material for the presence of asbestos. This information is necessary for people who manage an older building with asbestos or plan to demolition it.

If you have a building that was constructed between the 1850 and 1999, then you will need to have an asbestos survey done on your property. The purpose of the survey is so that a professional surveyor can retrieve samples of suspect building materials that are likely to contain asbestos. Once this has been done, the materials are sent to a laboratory for further testing.

This process requires the surveyor to take a small amount of the suspected material away. It is then subject to asbestos testing within the laboratory using two different specialist microscopes to confirm whether asbestos is present in the material and also what types of asbestos are present.

Three Types of Asbestos

The three commonly found asbestos types are Chrysotile (white asbestos), Amosite (brown asbestos) and Crocidolite (blue asbestos). Let’s examine these types of asbestos in greater detail.

Chrysotile – White asbestos was the most frequently used type of asbestos in older building materials, including wall construction, ceilings and roofs. You can find them in commercial and residential properties, as well as industrial sites and car workshops. White asbestos is characterised as white, soft, flexible fibres.

Amosite – Brown asbestos was used in a plethora of different asbestos containing materials, from pipe insulation to cement sheeting. Materials such as insulation boards and ceiling tiles contain Amosite also. These fibres are more brittle and appear almost like small needles or rods. Amosite is a much more dangerous type of asbestos compared to chrysotile.

Crocidolite – Blue asbestos was frequently used to make the insulation for pipes and boiler vessels. Certain cement products, spray coatings, laggings and plastics could also contain Crocidolite. Crocidolite is the most harmful type of asbestos of the three.

Asbestos Containing Materials

Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs) is the term used to cover all materials that contain asbestos. It is common for there to be more than one type of asbestos in a given material.

Asbestos testing or sampling of a given material is referred to as “bulk sampling.” Once a visit to the property has been completed, the laboratory will analyse and report on each and every sample that has been taken on an individual basis. Each report will include a certificate of analysis.

The Difference Between Asbestos Testing and Asbestos Surveying

Asbestos testing as a standalone service differs from asbestos surveying because the testing is what actually produces the results on a given material. For asbestos testing or “bulk sampling” a certificate is produced that confirms or refutes the presence of asbestos within the tested material. Intensive microscopy analysis is conducted during each test to provide you with accurate results.

The asbestos survey goes further by interpreting the findings of the test results and provides recommendations based on them. All samples are sent to a UKAS accredited laboratory for independent, non-biased testing. We do not do the actual testing ourselves to avoid a conflict of interest. The results are usually available within 48 hours, which will show either positive or negative results for the presence of asbestos and the asbestos type.

We are also able to test for asbestos in soils and other organic materials or construction-based wastes too. If you suspect that a specific building material might contain asbestos or require advice on asbestos-containing materials, please contact one of our surveyors, and we will be happy to discuss your requirements.

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Asbestos Surveys

We undertake asbestos surveys as directed by UK legislation. We provide Management Asbestos Surveys & Refurbishment/Demolition Asbestos Surveys for all residential properties, commercial properties & industrial properties.

Lead Paint Surveys

Lead paint surveys & analysis are crucially important for those involved in refurbishment or renovation, particularly in period properties or listed buildings which have been neglected or have remained unchanged for some time.

Anthrax & Horse Hair Surveys

EnviroHive Ltd undertake Anthrax Surveys & Tests on horse hair and other animal hairs within plaster including lathe and plaster varieties which can feature within older buildings, particularly listed properties.

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