Does your home contain asbestos? Find out what it is, if you have been exposed to it, how to test for it, and the most effective ways to get rid of it.
Asbestos: What Is It?
Asbestos. The word meaning inextinguishable in Greek is where the name got its start. Asbestos testing Thousand Oaks was widely employed in home construction from the early 1940s through the 1970s as a highly efficient and affordable fire-retardant material as well as a thermal and acoustic insulator.
How Does Asbestos Affect My Health?
Yes. Asbestos fibres can cause lung damage, as we now understand from extended exposure. Small, abrasive asbestos fibres that are easily inhaled when disturbed can harm lung tissue and result in cancer. The most frequent use of asbestos in homes constructed before 1975 is as thermal insulation for pipes and boilers in the basement.
Sadly, it can also be found in a wide range of other home items, such as:
● Attic insulation blown in
● linoleum tiles
● Glue for fastening floor tiles to wood or concrete
● Several linoleum types
● Caulking and glazing for windows
● Roof covering (usually on flat roofs but occasionally on shingles)
● Insulation for HVAC ducts (usually found in corrugated or flat paper form)
● Coatings for walls
● Plaster
● fibre cement siding, which is typically 1/8″ thick and 8’x4′ in size.
● Heavy-duty corrugated 8″ by 4″ panels
● certain types of paint
It’s not dangerous to have asbestos in your home just because it’s there.
When Is Asbestos Dangerous in a Home?
In most cases, material that is in good condition won’t release asbestos fibres, and disrupting it could introduce a health risk where none previously existed. Leaving asbestos material alone in good condition is the best course of action.
The asbestos substance that is dangerous has been harmed through time. If handled roughly, or if it has been sawed, scraped, or ground into a powder, asbestos is likely to release fibres and provide a health risk.
How can I tell if there is asbestos in my home?
Look for rips, scratches, or water damage.
Check frequently for rips, abrasions, or water damage if you think an area of your home has asbestos. You should restrict access to the area and avoid touching or disturbing any material that has minor damage. Professional repair or removal is required if the asbestos material is more than mildly damaged or if you plan to make alterations to your property that could disturb it.
Request a check-up first
However, you should get in touch with a company that specialises in industrial hygiene to check the damaged area before calling an asbestos abatement contractor. A thorough visual inspection, careful sample collection, and rigorous analysis are all necessary components of an accurate assessment.
If asbestos is found, the inspector must produce a written evaluation explaining its presence, the degree of the damage, and any suggested remedies.
Additionally, after removal or repair, this inspector can check to make sure the area has been adequately cleaned. Once they have this report, homeowners can speak with an asbestos removal specialist and work out a cleanup strategy.
Speak with an asbestos removal contractor
Obtain a written contract outlining the work schedule, cleanup requirements, and any relevant federal, state, and local laws before work starts (such as permits, notification requirements and asbestos disposal procedures).
To learn more about these rules, get in touch with your state’s and your community’s health departments, the regional offices of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Removal
If you choose removal, be sure to obtain a written guarantee from the contractor that all applicable local asbestos removal and disposal rules have been observed.
A Safe Asbestos Removal Process: 6 Tips
Prior to paying the final invoice, homeowners should get a disposal manifest to confirm that the waste will be disposed of at an asbestos-accepting landfill.
Only contractors who have been granted a state licence to carry out asbestos abatement work should make repairs and remove asbestos. Ask for references and a list of comparable work the contractor has previously completed, just as you would when selecting any contractor.
To find out if the business has ever had safety violations, check with your local air pollution control board, the local body in charge of worker safety, and the Better Business Bureau.
Make that the contractor uses the right tools for the project and that the workers are dressed in approved respirators, gloves, and other protective gear.
Additionally, homeowners should confirm that the contractor is covered by workman’s compensation and general liability insurance for this kind of work. Contractors must notify federal, state, and local agencies when they are preparing to execute abatement activities, according to the law in several states.
The industrial hygiene professional who initially assessed the property should return at the end of the project to take air samples to ensure that no asbestos fibres have unintentionally escaped before the contractor removes its containment device.
After asbestos, repair
Asbestos testing Thousand Oaks material must either be sealed or covered during repair.
3 Repair Tips
Repair is typically less expensive than removal, but it may make future asbestos removal more challenging and expensive, if necessary.
Both significant and minor repairs are possible.
It is not advised to perform small repairs yourself because handling asbestos materials improperly leads to more issues than it resolves.
Sealing
By sealing (encapsulating) the substance, asbestos fibres are either bound to one another or coated on the material to prevent fibre release. This method can be used to fix insulation in pipes, furnaces, and boilers.
Covering
To stop asbestos fibres from escaping, covering (enclosure) includes wrapping or jacketing the asbestos-containing material. These repairs should only be performed by a qualified specialist who is trained to handle asbestos properly. The asbestos is unaffected by repairs of any kind.
Make further inquiries with the environmental affairs office of your state for assistance in resolving asbestos issues in the residence. Asbestos can be treated correctly to ensure that it never poses a threat to your house.