Asbestos Inspection And Testing

Many resale homes are older than 30 years, meaning they likely contain “popcorn ceilings”. These textured ceiling finishes also probably contain asbestos, which is not usually a big problem – until you disturb it.

Tearing through ceilings (or walls) with asbestos can lead to big problems. Asbestos particles can make their way into your home’s air, and breathing them in has been linked to lung cancer, pleural mesothelioma (a cancer of the lung’s lining) and asbestosis (scarring of lung tissue).

The truth is, materials containing more than just 0.5 percent of asbestos is now considered unsafe, and should be left to the professionals with the proper protective gear. However, you won’t know for sure what you’re dealing with until you let Stephen have a closer look. Many pipes in older homes are also wrapped with asbestos, so be sure to let Stephen inspect them too.

Asbestos became popular in the 1940’s and was widely used as a heat insulator to prevent fires. The use of asbestos declined greatly in the 1980’s, but if you think your home is too new to contain asbestos, think again!

Canada was also once the world’s largest producer of asbestos (in fact, Asbestos is the name of a town in Quebec where the largest asbestos mine was located).

Don’t start that do-it-yourself project until you know for sure your home is free of asbestos, and you’ve taken the proper steps for abatement with advice from Integrated Clean Air Services. Having the testing done could very well save your life, or the life of a family member.