Commercial Asbestos Refurbishment Survey – Grays, Essex

Project: Asbestos Refurbishment Survey

Location: Grays, Essex

Date of Survey: 12/08/2025

 

1. Introduction & Project Scope

Refurbishment projects are exciting – fresh paint, shiny fixtures, and that new-building smell. But before the fun stuff can happen, there’s one very important step: making sure your “before” picture doesn’t include asbestos.

That’s exactly why we visited this corner showroom in Grays, Essex. Once home to stylish kitchens and bedrooms, the property was about to get its own makeover, and we were brought in to make sure the building was clear (or at least clearly documented) of any asbestos-containing materials (ACMs).

2. Survey Mission

Think of an asbestos refurbishment survey like a treasure hunt – except the “treasure” is something you definitely don’t want to keep. Our job was to:

• Get into all the areas affected by the refurbishment – shop floor, storage rooms, behind wall panels, up in ceiling voids.
• Take small samples of suspicious materials and send them off to a UKAS-accredited lab.
• Map out exactly where any ACMs were found, so builders know what to avoid (and remove).

Fun fact: Asbestos was once called the “miracle mineral” because it’s fireproof, strong, and durable. These days, we just call it a headache if you don’t manage it properly.

3. What We Found

Our sleuthing turned up a few “miracle mineral” leftovers from decades past:

• Asbestos cement panels in an external service area.
• Textured decorative coating on part of an office ceiling.
• Old vinyl floor tiles in a rear storage section.

Nothing too dramatic, but definitely enough to warrant some careful removal before the refit kicks off.

4. Our Recommendations

We gave the client a simple plan of action:

1. Use a licensed asbestos removal team to take care of the identified ACMs before work starts.
2. Conduct air monitoring during and after removal to ensure everything’s safe.
3. Update the asbestos register post-removal – giving the building a clean bill of health.

Now the property is ready for its transformation – and the only thing in the air will be the smell of fresh paint and possibly a new kitchen showroom coffee machine.