Commercial Asbestos Refurbishment Survey – Hotel, West London

Project: Asbestos Refurbishment Survey

Location: Hotel, West London

Date of Survey: 04/08/2025

Refurbishing a hotel sounds glamorous, right? New carpets, fresh paint, stylish fittings… but before the magic makeover can begin, there’s one not-so-glamorous (but very important) step – making sure asbestos doesn’t crash the party.

That’s where we came in. Our mission? To carry out a Commercial Asbestos Refurbishment Survey at a busy hotel in West London, making sure it was safe for builders, decorators, and everyone else to get stuck in without any unwanted fibre-based surprises.

1. Project Objective

The hotel was about to undergo some major refurbishment work, and under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, that means checking every nook and cranny for potential asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) before work kicks off. Think of it as giving the building a health check before it hits the “spa”.

2. Survey Methodology

Our surveyors rolled up, armed with PPE, sampling gear, and a sense of determination. Following the HSG264 Asbestos: The Survey Guide, we:

• Carried out intrusive inspections in the refurbishment zones – yes, this means peeking behind walls, lifting flooring, and checking ceiling voids.
• Collected samples of any suspicious materials for testing at a UKAS-accredited laboratory.
• Mapped out exactly where any ACMs were hiding, complete with photos and condition notes.

3. Key Findings

Like many older commercial buildings in London, the hotel had a few asbestos “souvenirs” from its construction days:

• Asbestos Insulating Board (AIB) panels in a plant room.
• A section of asbestos cement sheeting in an external storage area.
• Some textured coatings containing chrysotile on ceilings in unused staff areas.

Nothing that couldn’t be dealt with – but definitely the kind of thing you want to know about before swinging a sledgehammer.

4. Conclusion & Recommendations

We handed the hotel management a clear plan to keep everything safe and compliant:

1. Engage a licensed asbestos removal contractor to take care of the AIB and cement sheeting before refurbishment begins.
2. Remove or encapsulate the textured coating in affected areas.
3. Carry out air monitoring during removal works.
4. Update the asbestos register to reflect the completed works – ready for a clean slate.

Now the hotel is set for its facelift, and everyone can rest easy knowing the only thing in the air will be the smell of fresh paint – not asbestos dust.