Asbestos home best?
Asbestos home best?
That's what they thought in 1945 when asbestos was discovered in Belgium to be used in building houses. In itself not so strange because asbestos is fireproof, cheap, wear-resistant and provides good insulation. Until studies revealed that asbestos is very harmful to health and it was banned from use.
As of November 23, 2022, it is mandatory to have an asbestos certificate when selling your house or apartment.
A2advies came by the office to tell us all about asbestos and what turns out "Asbestos is not so home best after all".
What exactly is asbestos?
Asbestos is actually a rock. This rock contains minerals containing the asbestos fibers.
There are 6 types of asbestos of which 3 were commonly used, being (chrysotile, amosite and crocidolite). Asbestos is classified into 3 types of categories. Bonded: asbestos incorporated into a binder (or matrix). Semi-attached: originally attached applications that have been deteriorated by weathering, exposing fibers. Loose-bound asbestos (or non-attached) contain little or no (spray asbestos) binder and at the same time contain high concentrations of asbestos.
1.Bond ed asbestos is solid asbestos and is incorporated into other materials.
You can find bonded asbestos in corrugated iron sheets, slates, sewers, fireplaces and false ceilings.
2.Semi-attached asbestos is tightly bound asbestos in poor condition. Here the asbestos fibers are on the surface. This can cause direct contamination of soil, water and air.
3.Non-attached asbestos is the last variant. Here the asbestos fibers are not attached to other material. You can find this type of asbestos in pipe insulation, electrical cables and cords, stove vents, vinyl flooring and gasket material.
Evolution asbestos
Asbestos was used for decades in numerous construction and material applications whose production was not banned until 1998. Asbestos-containing goods were used until 2001. In all buildings built before 2001, asbestos applications can potentially be found.
From 16/03/2006, employers are required to draw up an asbestos inventory so that employees are informed about it. The asbestos certificate is mandatory from Nov. 23 when selling (and renting) homes and buildings built before 2001. By 2032, all asbestos applications present in Flanders should be mapped. This means that every building built before 2001 should have an inventory.
Impact health
When asbestos is released, tiny fibers float through the air. We can breathe in that air. When the asbestos fibers are inhaled, they will enter the alveoli of the lungs. This is where they are dangerous. Overexposure to asbestos fibers can cause diseases such as asbestosis and lung cancer.
When do you need an asbestos inventory?
If you want to sell a house, apartment or building, you will need an asbestos inventory as of Nov. 23. This is a visual asbestos inventory.
This inventory is valid for 10 years or 5 years if one or more high-risk materials are present. If the condition of the building changes within 1 year of the determination, an update is required. A visual asbestos inventory provides a description of all visible asbestos suspect and asbestos-containing materials. Hidden asbestos-containing materials remain undetected in this process. An asbestos inventory of common areas such as in an apartment building is required as of 1/05/2025.
How does A2advies address this?
A2advies is an asbestos inventory agency approved by OVAM. They therefore follow all the requirements imposed by the government regarding the drawing up of an asbestos inventory.
A2advies makes an inventory of all high-risk applications containing asbestos. They do this by following several steps.
1. Preliminary investigation: They schedule the analysis and check whether previous inventories are present.
2. Inspection: An expert from A2advies does a visual inspection on site and assesses applications for asbestos content based on knowledge and expertise. Applications that cannot be visually ruled out as silk asbestos-free will be sampled. These samples will be delivered to a lab where the asbestos content will be determined. (This is not considered destructive testing, but damage inherent in sampling).
Enclosed and covered materials are outside the expert's inspection area and will not be included in the inventory.
3. Reporting: They compile all observations and lab results with the samples into a report.
4. Quote removal: A2advies delivers the report and, if desired, makes a quote for the removal of the asbestos.
You can consult A2advies via their website https://a2advies.be/ or contact them in advance via their telephone number +32 33 75 09 93 or via email info@a2advies.be.
