Asbestos testing & sampling
Found something that worries you? We take a controlled sample of a single suspect material and a UKAS-accredited laboratory tells you whether it contains asbestos, and which type. It is the quickest way to turn "I think this might be asbestos" into a clear answer. UKATA-trained, fully insured.
Asbestos testing and sampling is for when you need one suspect material identified, rather than a survey of a whole building. We take a small, controlled sample of the material, seal the spot behind us, and send it to a UKAS-accredited laboratory, which confirms whether it contains asbestos and which type. You get a definite answer to act on.
It is the right service when you have spotted a single thing that worries you — an old textured ceiling, a garage sheet, a panel behind a boiler — and just want to know what it is. If you need a whole property assessed, or you are about to renovate, a survey is the better fit. It is one of four services in our surveys and testing range.
When testing & sampling is the right call
- You have found one suspect material and want a yes-or-no answer
- You are about to do a small job and want to check one thing first
- A previous report was unclear and you want a single material confirmed
- You want certainty before deciding whether to leave, manage, or remove it
Sampling identifies a material. To find out whether asbestos fibres are in the air — for example after a disturbance — that is air testing, a different measurement.
How testing & sampling works
Tell us what you've found
Send a photo and a description, or have us call out. We will confirm whether it is worth sampling and arrange it.
Controlled sampling
We take a small, representative sample under controlled conditions, keeping fibre release to a minimum, and seal the spot behind us.
UKAS-accredited analysis
The sample goes to a UKAS-accredited laboratory, which confirms whether asbestos is present and which type.
Clear result & next steps
You get the result in plain language, with honest advice on whether to leave it, manage it, or remove it.
The floor tile that came back negative — and why we sampled it anyway
A homeowner in Greenwich was having their kitchen floor replaced. The tiles were black vinyl squares, probably 1970s, and the fitter had already priced the job. The homeowner had read enough online to know that black adhesive under vinyl tiles from that era can contain asbestos, so they called us before the fitter started.
The tiles themselves tested negative. But the adhesive — a thick, dark bitumen layer beneath them — came back positive for chrysotile. The fitter had been planning to use a floor grinder to level the subfloor after the tiles came up. Grinding chrysotile-containing adhesive generates significant airborne fibre. The kitchen is a small, poorly ventilated room. The homeowner, the fitter, and anyone in the house that day would have been exposed.
We removed the adhesive using a chemical stripping method — no grinding, no dust. The fitter got a clean subfloor and a clearance note. The homeowner got a new kitchen. The sample cost £180. The alternative, if the fitter had started without it, does not bear thinking about.
Why test with Diamond
A result is only as good as the sample behind it. A sample taken carelessly can release fibres, miss the material it was meant to catch, or come back unreliable. Taking it properly is a skill, and it is the part people most often get wrong when they try it themselves.
- UKAS-accredited analysis.
Results come from a UKAS-accredited laboratory, the recognised standard, not a guess from a photo.
- Sampled safely.
We take the sample under controlled conditions and seal the spot, so the test itself does not become the thing that releases fibres.
- Honest next steps.
If it is negative, we tell you. If it is positive but sound, we will often tell you it can stay. We do not turn a test into a sale.
Snapping off a piece, sanding it, or breaking it to get a sample is exactly what releases fibres. If you have found something suspect, leave it alone and let us take the sample safely.
What affects the price
Testing is priced simply, usually per sample. The main factors:
Is a single test enough?
If you want a whole property assessed, you need a management survey; if you are about to do building work, a refurbishment and demolition survey; and to check whether fibres are in the air, air testing. See all options on the surveys and testing hub. If a test comes back positive and the material needs removing, we can carry out the non-licensed work ourselves.
Testing & sampling, answered
Can I just send you a photo?
Should I take the sample myself to save money?
How long do results take?
What is the difference between sampling and air testing?
If it is positive, what happens next?
Get a suspect material tested
Send a photo and a quick description, and we will tell you whether to sample it and arrange a UKAS-accredited test, with a clear result and honest advice on what to do next.