The asbestos analysis belongs at the start of the renovation, before demolition or the contractor's main work begins. If you decide in good time which materials will be tested, nobody has to wait for a result while the work stands still.
Start with a list of what will be removed
Go through which surfaces will actually be broken open during the renovation. Note the room, the material and the approximate year of construction or renovation. That way no samples are taken just in case from spots that will not be touched, and no important material is missed.
Allow for postal transit time too
The laboratory's work starts when the sample arrives. The samples are sent as a letter or small parcel with your national postal service to our laboratory in Finland, so build the transit time into the schedule. Semlab sends the report the same day the sample arrives.
Plan a decision point before demolition
Mark in the schedule when the results will be reviewed before the work continues. If the sample is negative, the plan for that material can go ahead. If asbestos is found, you need separate time to plan the removal method, the contractor and the order of work.
An example schedule
- Decide which materials will be removed and how many samples are needed.
- Place the order and take the samples before the actual demolition.
- Send the samples to Semlab.
- Review the report and only then decide on the demolition.
A little lead time prevents an expensive chain reaction in which tradespeople, materials and other work stages all wait for a single missing result.