What do you know about asbestos? You are likely aware that it’s a toxic substance that is best to be avoided at all costs and only removed by a professional. Asbestos can be found in numerous household materials, and is often present in homes built before 1975.
Where can asbestos be found?
Vinyl floor tiles
Glue that attaches floor tiles to concrete or wood
Some forms of linoleum
Window caulking and glazing
Roofing material (usually on flat roofs but occasionally on shingles)
HVAC duct insulation (usually found in corrugated or flat paper form)
Siding material
Plaster
Fiber cement siding
Corrugated heavy duty 8′ x 4′ panels
Why is asbestos so dangerous?
Asbestos damages lung tissue and can cause cancer due to the fibres that are easily inhaled. This means that asbestos removal is imperative to your health if it is present in your home.
How can I get asbestos removed?
Repair is sometimes done before removal but, in this case, the asbestos always remains in place. Repair involves either sealing or covering asbestos material. Only a professional trained to handle asbestos safely should undertake these repairs.
Before going ahead with asbestos removal, you need to get written assurance from a contractor to ensure that they have followed all local asbestos removal and disposal laws. Homeowners should also ask for a disposal manifest prior to making their last payments to ensure that the material will be disposed of in a landfill licensed to receive asbestos.
Please remember
Federal laws stop asbestos from being improperly removed, labelled, or disposed of and under no circumstances should homeowners attempt to do it themselves. Not only are you likely to damage your own health and the health of your loved ones, it is highly unlikely you will be able to remove the substance effectively.
Did you just purchase an old home and are unsure about the presence of asbestos within your walls? We have decades of experience safely detecting and removing asbestos and will have your home back to tip-top shape in no time. Contact the team at Masters Construction today for more information!