Asbestos not picked up on Home Buyer's Report

marksoton

tintin90 wrote: »

Really? I find that difficult to I believe, in many other searches I've done, they seem to spot asbestos in a fair few instances where the every day Joe public wouldn't

Dependent on the surveyor experience may have taught them what to look for but it doesn't mean they're qualified per se...

AdrianC

tintin90 wrote: »

Really? I find that difficult to I believe, in many other searches I've done, they seem to spot asbestos in a fair few instances where the every day Joe public wouldn't

They typically say that things MIGHT be asbestos - artex, old boiler insulation, cement corrugated roof panels - where those products have, historically, often included asbestos.

They did not go rummaging around under every single shrub with a strimmer in case there were some old times lurking out there somewhere.

justme111

Is not asbestos perfectly safe until you start drilling it/ sawing it (doing whatever work that pulverises it) ?
Why would it be any more difficult to dispose of than if it was any other material if it does not need to be cut away from building , just picked up and carried to appropriate recycling /waste collection centre ?

AdrianC

justme111 wrote: »

Is not asbestos perfectly safe until you start drilling it/ sawing it (doing whatever work that pulverises it) ?

Asbestos-cement sheet is. Other forms of fibrous asbestos may not be.

HappyMJ

justme111 wrote: »

Is not asbestos perfectly safe until you start drilling it/ sawing it (doing whatever work that pulverises it) ?
Why would it be any more difficult to dispose of than if it was any other material if it does not need to be cut away from building , just picked up and carried to appropriate recycling /waste collection centre ?

It's not "perfectly" safe but you are right avoid getting the particles airborne and it is reasonably safe. Lots of people live with asbestos every day in their houses and as long as it's not disturbed it can stay there. I would put a face mask on, bag it up carefully without breaking it or getting it all over yourself and it "should" be fine.

phill99

Have you actually had them tested to determine waht they are? Dod the 2 people looking at them have them tested to see what they are made of? There areplenty of products on the ,market that look like like asbestos sheeting, but are quote harmless concrete boards used for tile backing etc.

Before you go making acqusations, you need to determine your facts first.

Additionally a home buyers report is just that. It is not a report on the flotsam and jetsam in peoples gardens.

googler

I would no more expect the surveyor to comment on what's lying around in the garden than I would expect him to comment on the contents of the house - the china in the sideboard, the towels in the airing cupboard.

It's just stuff lying around.

teneighty

tintin90 wrote: »

Hi all,

So basically my wife and I bought a house over two years ago and we finally are getting round to making some changes in the garden. We were outside a few weeks ago taking note of what we could get rid of/tidy up when we noticed large tile like slabs sitting against the neighbouring hedge. I first of all assumed they were surplus ceramic tiles which were left over from the house extension which has been carried out in the last 10 years.
However, we had a friend round who we are getting to erect a new fence, he has confirmed that they are in fact asbestos tiles and he's not touching anything until we remove (fair enough). To be on the safe side we asked another handy friend and he has confirmed same.
Now, before we bought the house we had a 'Home Buyers Report' carried out (the middle ground between basic valuation and full structural survey) which cost around £300. It makes significant reference to the back garden but no mention of the asbestos tiles.
My question is, are we within our rights to contact the surveyor and ask them to cover the cost of removal? I reckon there's about 20 or so large tiles and it will be a significant dent on our finances.
Any help or weigh in is greatly appreciated.
Thanks

As others have said I suspect you will have a difficult job demonstrating that the surveyor failed to notice these and flag them up as potentially containing asbestos.

I just wanted to add that there is no way your friends can categorically state they are asbestos tiles unless they have been sampled and tested. From the vague description they sound like the thermoplastic type floor tiles which may have a very low asbestos content which is well bound into the structure of the tile so release of asbestos fibres is very difficult. Therefore they are very low risk to dispose of.

dc197

I'd be more interested in chasing the sellers, rather than the surveyor. Usually the sellers agree not to leave any "rubbish" behind. That's even a question on the Property Information Form, if I recall correctly.
But, as for the case with chasing the surveyor, it's a long time gone now.