Asbestos surveys and asbestos samples

In Finland asbestos was used in construction mainly between 1922 and 1992, and it can still turn up in almost any building from that era. Asbestos fibres may be present in pipework and insulation, floor tiles, roofing sheets, wall paints, tile adhesive and waterproofing layers, and none of it can be identified by eye. Government Decree 798/2015 requires whoever commissions the work to have an asbestos survey carried out before any demolition or renovation in a property built before 1994. The obligation applies equally to households, housing companies and construction firms.

An experienced surveyor works through the property systematically and takes enough samples from every suspect material. The samples go to the laboratory for analysis, and the result is the statutory survey report. The report states where asbestos was found, in what quantity and what precautions the demolition work calls for. It is accepted by the authorities, by the demolition contractor and by occupational safety inspectors, and it is also needed when the property is sold.

Asbestos is a carcinogenic fibre, and inhaling it causes lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis. Symptoms may only appear decades after exposure, which makes prevention the only effective protection. The greatest risk comes from renovations where old materials are sawn, sanded or torn out without dust control and respiratory protection. A properly conducted survey protects both the people doing the work and everyone who will use the building afterwards. It also saves money, because once the location of the asbestos is known the demolition work can be priced correctly from the outset.

Asbestipro works to fixed prices set per city, quoted to the customer in advance with no need to request an estimate. The price always covers the survey on site, every sample needed, the laboratory analysis, travel, VAT and the finished survey report. We add no hidden costs and send no follow-up invoices at any stage — the customer knows the final sum when the order is placed. Samples are analysed on a JEOL SEM-EDS electron microscope, and our work follows the ISO 22262-1 standard. More than 30,000 completed surveys and a 98 per cent recommendation rate speak for the quality and reliability of the work.

We serve private customers and business customers alike, and our process is built so that both get the level of service they need without bureaucracy. Housing companies can easily arrange a survey ahead of a pipe, façade or riser renovation. Construction firms, property managers and property owners can channel all their surveys through a single partner on monthly invoicing. For business customers we tailor the invoicing arrangement and name each report by site so it can go straight into the contract documents. Where only one material is in question, we also analyse individual asbestos samples at 39,90 € + VAT.

Where asbestos is found in a building

Asbestos was cheap, durable and fire-resistant, which is why it went into hundreds of different building products. In a property built before 1994, asbestos can be found in almost any structure. The most common asbestos-containing materials are vinyl floor tiles and the adhesive under them, vinyl flooring, fibre-cement boards and insulation around pipes and boilers. Asbestos also appears in ventilation duct insulation, waterproofing compounds, tile adhesive, fire-stopping compounds and in some fillers and paints. Smaller amounts turn up in the backing boards of electrical distribution cabinets and in the heat shields behind boilers and fireplaces. The surveyor works through the property systematically and identifies every likely asbestos-containing element before taking any samples.

How an asbestos survey works in practice

An asbestos survey begins when the customer orders the service on our website or by phone and picks a time from the available slots. An experienced surveyor arrives at the agreed time and works through every area due for demolition or repair. The surveyor takes small representative samples from all suspect materials, safely and without releasing dust. The samples go to the OneLab laboratory, where they are analysed on a JEOL SEM-EDS electron microscope. Within one working day the finished survey report reaches your inbox, ready to hand to the demolition contractor or the property manager.

How the price is set and what it includes

The price of an asbestos survey depends on the city and the distance travelled, and the pricing is completely transparent. The customer knows the price before confirming the order, and no follow-up invoice arrives at any point. The price covers the visit to the property, the travel costs and the survey work itself on site. Every material sample needed is included at no extra charge, as is the transport of the samples to the laboratory. Laboratory analysis on a JEOL SEM-EDS electron microscope and the statutory survey report in electronic form are both part of the package. We charge nothing separately for mileage or VAT — both are already inside the fixed price quoted.

Asbestos sample or asbestos survey — which one suits you

If you already know which material you want checked, the more affordable asbestos sample service costs 39,90 € + VAT per sample. You take a small sample of the material yourself following our instructions and either drop it off or post it to our laboratory for analysis. A single sample suits the renovation of one room or one structure, when you want certainty about a particular floor tile, pipe insulation or wall filler. A full asbestos survey is needed on larger projects, because the law requires the whole renovation area to be surveyed in any property built before 1994.

Business and housing company customers

For business and housing company customers we tailor the process around the size of the project, its schedule and the need to survey several properties at the same time. We can offer centralised invoicing and one named contact person covering every site. For construction firms and property management offices we build an ongoing partnership in which surveys can be ordered through a light process. Reports are delivered in a form that goes straight into the contract documents, named individually per site.

Laboratory analysis and the standards applied

Reliable asbestos analysis calls for modern, calibrated equipment, qualified laboratory staff and standard-compliant procedures that will find asbestos fibres even in very small amounts of material. The laboratory analyses samples on an up-to-date JEOL SEM-EDS electron microscope, which combines high-magnification imaging with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis of the elements present. That combination is the internationally recognised basis for identifying asbestos, and it distinguishes all six commercially used types of asbestos from one another. The types identified are chrysotile, crocidolite, amosite, anthophyllite, tremolite and actinolite. Our work follows the international ISO 22262-1 standard, which sets out sampling, sample handling, analysis and reporting in detail. The results are comparable with those of laboratories abroad and are accepted by authorities outside Finland as well.

From order to report

Timing is usually the customer’s first question, because renovation and demolition work run to a tight schedule and a delay at one stage pushes back the whole project. The survey is normally carried out within one to three working days of the order, depending on availability in the city and the time the customer chooses. The samples usually reach the laboratory the same day as the survey visit. The analysis is generally completed on the day the samples arrive, and the written survey report is emailed within one working day. For a typical customer the whole process, from order to finished report, takes no more than a week.

The most common mistakes in an asbestos survey, and how to avoid them

Order a survey or a sample at your own city’s prices

Ordering an asbestos survey is straightforward: open the price list, find your city and place the order on our website in a couple of minutes. If you only want one material tested, choose the asbestos sample service at a fixed 39,90 € + VAT per sample. You take the sample yourself following our clear instructions and post it to our laboratory. We handle single-flat renovations, housing company riser refurbishments and larger construction projects alike, all under one roof. You get a solution with no hidden costs, handled reliably by our experienced staff.

The most common mistake when ordering an asbestos survey is leaving it too late — putting the demolition work out to tender before the survey has even been ordered. Only afterwards does it become clear that the law does not allow demolition to start without a valid survey report, and that if asbestos is found, the Regional State Administrative Agency must be notified of the asbestos removal work two weeks before it begins.