I am hoping for some advice please. I recently decided to get the soffits, facias and guttering replaced on my house which was built in 1990. The idea was to completely remove all the old ones and fit new PVC ones. But when the contractors started, they broke off the first bit of the soffit and said it might be asbestos. They advised to leave it in place undisturbed and fit the PVC soffits over it. I agreed to this.
However, when I returned home when they were a fair way through the job, I found that in removing the wooden facias, the soffits had been damaged in a couple of places (although not many) but that also most of the edges of the soffits looked slightly damaged with rough edges. There are small bits of it everywhere outside. As the facias are totally removed now and they are fitting the new ones, the damage is done.
What I'm worried about is how much of a health hazard this has already caused - short term exposure for the workers and longer term for us, if we use the garden and dust continues to be in the atmosphere? It will more than likely be in the grass, plants, along the paths / driveway etc. They will also need to drill holes to fit air vents which will cause more dust.
I've no idea what I should do at this stage. I have sent off for an asbestos test kit but if it comes back positive, what next? Even if I get someone in to remove the new soffits and remove the old soffits beneath, the dust that's already out there is still there.
The strange thing is I'm one of the last in the street to get this done and no one has ever mentioned an asbestos problem to me. We are mostly residents who have lived here since the houses were new so it's not that current owners won't know about work done in the past.
Any advice really appreciated!
However, when I returned home when they were a fair way through the job, I found that in removing the wooden facias, the soffits had been damaged in a couple of places (although not many) but that also most of the edges of the soffits looked slightly damaged with rough edges. There are small bits of it everywhere outside. As the facias are totally removed now and they are fitting the new ones, the damage is done.
What I'm worried about is how much of a health hazard this has already caused - short term exposure for the workers and longer term for us, if we use the garden and dust continues to be in the atmosphere? It will more than likely be in the grass, plants, along the paths / driveway etc. They will also need to drill holes to fit air vents which will cause more dust.
I've no idea what I should do at this stage. I have sent off for an asbestos test kit but if it comes back positive, what next? Even if I get someone in to remove the new soffits and remove the old soffits beneath, the dust that's already out there is still there.
The strange thing is I'm one of the last in the street to get this done and no one has ever mentioned an asbestos problem to me. We are mostly residents who have lived here since the houses were new so it's not that current owners won't know about work done in the past.
Any advice really appreciated!