Two reasons to test the soil for asbestos before building a property on a plot of land

My name is Richard. I own a large commercial business which is located in Melbourne, Australia. Last year, I decided I needed to revamp the look of my business so I shut everything down for 8 weeks and called in a team of contractors. The contractors replaced the plumbing and installed a new electrical system. I also asked them to carry out some work on the roof. I was really impressed with how quickly they completed the work so I could reopen my business to the public. I decided to start this blog so I could offer advice to other business owners.

Two reasons to test the soil for asbestos before building a property on a plot of land

Two reasons to test the soil for asbestos before building a property on a plot of land

1 December 2017
 Categories:
Construction & Contractors, Blog


Before you construct a building on a plot of land, it is important to have the soil tested for asbestos and to have any contaminated sections extracted by an asbestos soil removal expert before you begin the construction process. Read on to find out why.

Asbestos could endanger the health of your construction team

Construction activities such as the digging of trenches require workers to disturb the soil. If the soil in question contains asbestos, these types of activities could result in the asbestos particles becoming airborne.  

If this should happen, any construction workers in the vicinity of the soil could end up inhaling these particles. Unfortunately, the inhalation of asbestos can significantly increase a person's risk of developing mesothelioma (a form of cancer), asbestosis, and pleural plaque.  

As such, if you fail to remove any patches of soil that are contaminated with this substance before you initiate your construction project, you could end up endangering the lives of your hired construction workers.

When these potential consequences are taken into consideration, the cost and effort of having the soil tested and any asbestos removed seems a small price to pay.

Asbestos in the soil could affect the value of the property you build on it

If you are building a property with the intention of selling it on soon afterwards at a profit, then it would be financially prudent to make sure that any asbestos-contaminated soil is professionally extracted from the land before you begin the construction process.

The reason for this is as follows;  if the property you build on your plot is later found to have been constructed on land that contains asbestos, it could affect the value of the property as well as the speed with which you are able to sell it.

Generally speaking, potential buyers are wary of buying properties that have asbestos problems. This is because most people are well aware of the health risks associated with this substance and understand that if they were to buy this type of property, they would have to spend a substantial amount of their time and money on arranging for the removal of the asbestos.  

As such, you may have to wait several months for anyone to make an offer. Furthermore, when you do eventually find an interested party to purchase the property, you will probably find that they are only willing to offer an amount that is significantly lower than the market value.

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Using Construction Contractors on a Commercial Business

My name is Richard. I own a large commercial business which is located in Melbourne, Australia. Last year, I decided I needed to revamp the look of my business so I shut everything down for 8 weeks and called in a team of contractors. The contractors replaced the plumbing and installed a new electrical system. I also asked them to carry out some work on the roof. I was really impressed with how quickly they completed the work so I could reopen my business to the public. I decided to start this blog so I could offer advice to other business owners.

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