1 in 3 houses in NZ contain asbestos which makes it a widespread problem.
Christchurch is one of New Zealand’s oldest cities and in the 80’s and 90’s asbestos was a popular and inexpensive insulation material, so there are thousands of commercial buildings and residential buildings (an estimated 40,000) in Christchurch alone with asbestos in the walls and ceilings.
If your house or building was built or renovated in the 80’s or 90’s, it is likely to contain Asbestos in some form. The only way to be sure whether a material contains asbestos is to have it tested by a qualified laboratory.
One of just two plants in NZ producing asbestos cement products was established in the Christchurch suburb of Riccarton in 1943 and operated until 1974. NZ first began regulating asbestos in 1978 but it wasn’t until 1984 that raw asbestos was banned and the country continued to produce asbestos building materials until 1987.
We only recommend testing suspect materials if they are damaged (fraying, crumbling) or if you are planning a renovation that would disturb the suspect material.
So if you have a commercial or residential building that requires an asbestos inspection to determine if there is asbestos, or asbestos removal in Christchurch, get in touch today.
