Asbestos surveys and removal in Rickmansworth

What shaped Rickmansworth's housing?

The arrival of the Metropolitan Railway turned Rickmansworth, Chorleywood and Croxley Green into commuter country. The railway's own promotion of the area as Metroland in the early twentieth century encouraged estates of detached and semi-detached houses, many built in the 1920s and 1930s, with mock-Tudor gables, bay windows and generous gardens. After the war came council estates, particularly around Mill End, and later private estates and flats.

WD3 also takes in Loudwater, Maple Cross, Sarratt and the surrounding countryside.

Where might a Metroland house hide asbestos?

Most interwar houses were built before asbestos was used widely in homes, so the original walls and roofs are less likely to contain it. The risk lies in what came after. Garages were added, porches were glazed in, kitchens and bathrooms were replaced, old coal fires gave way to boilers, and ceilings were covered with textured coatings. Items worth checking include:

• garage and carport roofs
• boards around boilers or in airing cupboards
• textured ceilings and walls
• floor tiles under later flooring
• cement flue pipes or water tanks in the loft

What about larger extensions and rebuilds?

Many WD3 houses have been extended, remodelled or even rebuilt over the years. Before you knock through, strip a loft or demolish a garage, a refurbishment and demolition survey of the parts affected tells the builder what they will meet. Without one, a contractor who finds suspect material part-way through has to stop until it is identified.

What about Maple Cross and other business premises?

Maple Cross has business parks and industrial units, and the town centre has offices, shops and older commercial buildings. Whoever is responsible for maintaining a non-domestic building has a duty to manage asbestos, which matters most in buildings from before 2000. A tenant's lease usually says how that duty is shared with the landlord.

What about post-war council homes and flats?

Estates built from the late 1940s onwards are more likely to contain asbestos in their original construction. Tenants should raise any concern with their landlord. Leaseholders in blocks should ask the freeholder or managing agent, who is responsible for the shared parts, including stairwells and roof spaces. Tenants should never drill, sand or strip anything in a council home that may contain asbestos without asking the landlord first.

Which council covers the area?

Three Rivers District Council covers Rickmansworth and the villages of WD3. For household asbestos waste, read Hertfordshire County Council's guidance first.