Asbestos survey and asbestos test: sample and analysis

When should you test for asbestos?

If you are going to demolish, sand, drill, scrape or remove a material in a building from before 1990, you should know whether it contains asbestos before you start. Asbestos was as a rule banned in construction in 1972, but with exemptions until 1986 indoors and 1990 outdoors. Asbestos can be found in roofs, tile adhesive, ceiling boards, wall boards, pipe insulation, floor glue, vinyl, filler, sealant and roofing felt.

If you are only painting or hanging new wallpaper over the old, there is rarely any reason to test. If you are buying a house, a survey of the roof and bathroom can spare you a surprise after taking over.

Visual check or analysis: the difference

In a visual check, someone who knows the materials looks at age and year of construction and says: you should test this. It is a useful first step, but it is a suspicion, not an answer. Asbestos fibres cannot be seen with the naked eye, and materials with and without asbestos look the same. That is why we never judge a material from a photo or a description.

In an analysis, a laboratory examines a sample of the material under a microscope. The answer is whether the sample contains asbestos, and which type. That is the answer the Danish Working Environment Authority, the municipality and your tradesperson can use.

What you can have tested

Fibre-cement roofs and slates

The grey, wavy roof on houses from before 1990, and the small, flat slates produced with asbestos until 1986. The sample is taken from an edge or a sheet that is already broken, never by drilling into the roof. See asbestos roof removal.

Tile adhesive and floors

Adhesive behind tiles, black glue under vinyl and the vinyl itself, typically from before 1980. The sample is taken from a joint or an edge before anyone knocks a tile loose. See asbestos in tile adhesive and floors.

Pipe insulation, diatomite and gaskets

The white, chalky insulation around heating pipes in basements, plant rooms and lofts, and cord and gaskets in boilers and old wood-burning stoves. The sample is taken from a spot that is already damaged, and the spot is sealed afterwards. See asbestos in pipe insulation.

Ceiling boards, render and filler

Soft, light ceiling boards from the 1950s to 70s, hard fibre-cement boards and the layers behind the wallpaper. The sample is taken from an edge of every layer you plan to work in. See asbestos in ceilings and walls.

Roofing felt

Older roofing felt and underlay could contain asbestos. The sample is taken from an edge at a flashing, without opening the roof.

How the sampling works

We go through the building with you and agree which materials to test. From each material a small sample is taken from an edge or a spot that is already damaged, with protective equipment and tools that keep the dust in. The sample spot is sealed, and the sample is packed, labelled and sent for analysis.

Answer and report

The report shows where each sample was taken, with photo and location, what the laboratory found, and what it means for your project: whether the material can stay, should be encapsulated or has to be removed before the work continues. If asbestos is found, we map the extent.

The report is yours. Your tradesperson needs it before the work starts, and it is the basis for the notification to the Working Environment Authority that a removal requires. If you want us to do the removal, you get a written quote for exactly the extent the report shows, without a new walk-through. If you choose someone else, they can use the report in the same way.

Environmental screening before demolition and conversion

Before demolition, renovation or larger maintenance that affects more than 10 m² or produces more than 1 tonne of waste, you as the building owner must screen the building for problematic substances and notify the waste to your municipality. Asbestos is one; lead in paint, PCB in sealants, chlorinated paraffins and heavy metals are the others. We do the asbestos part, help with the municipality’s waste notification and can coordinate with the consultant who takes the rest.