You simply cannot tell if a material contains asbestos just by looking at it. Asbestos fibres are microscopic, invisible to the naked eye, and incredibly dangerous when airborne. Disturbing materials like old textured ceilings, garage roofs, or pipe insulation without knowing for sure could release these fibres, putting anyone nearby at serious health risk. Professional testing takes away all the guesswork. We give you a definitive "yes" or "no" answer, backed by a UKAS-accredited laboratory, so you know exactly what you're dealing with before taking any further steps.

When you call Southern Asbestos, our process is designed to be as safe and simple for you as possible. Firstly, our trained and experienced technicians will visit your Dorking property. They carefully take a small, discreet sample of the suspect material, making sure to contain any potential fibres and minimise disturbance to the area. We then securely package this sample and send it to an independent, UKAS-accredited laboratory for expert analysis. Once the results come back, usually within a few days, we provide you with a clear, easy-to-understand report and certificate, explaining exactly what was found.

Asbestos was a popular building material for decades, used in over 3,000 different products before its ban. This means it can turn up in many surprising places within Dorking homes and commercial buildings. We regularly test for materials such as: textured coatings like Artex on ceilings and walls, asbestos cement sheets often found on garage roofs or outbuildings, vinyl floor tiles and their backing, asbestos insulating board (AIB) panels, pipe lagging, and even old boiler flues. If you have any concerns about these or other materials, our testing service gives you the answers you need.