You Should Know if your Building or Home Contains Asbestos

Asbestos is by now well known for being a dangerous material previously used in building construction. Unfortunately, it was widely used for many years before the dangers of asbestos were discovered. Asbestos siding, shingles, drywall, floor covering and insulation are the most commonly used forms of this mineral, and if your business or home was built before the 1990s it’s highly likely that some form of asbestos is present. This shouldn’t be cause for immediate alarm providing you don't disturb the material. Asbestos is a hidden-killer and when disturbed or turned into dust it becomes airborne, and is breathed into the lungs. 

If you are thinking of embarking on any kind of business renovation or home improvement project from drilling holes in the walls to a major renovation, you need to check for asbestos first. There are many reputable and some not so reputable consulting forms who can check your home or business to see if it has asbestos containg materials. Enviro-Vac does not do testing and for obvious reasons, you should not hire a company to do asbestos removal that also does testing. We are happy to recommend a number of companies that do testing.  

Asbestos containing materials are everywhere and are still very common in buildings renovated or built prior to 1990.  All too often people embark on a home improvement projects without looking for asbestos first and then encounter problems once the construction or renovation starts.

The best way to identify asbestos is to review images online to see where asbestos is commonly used. Some of the most common uses include corrugated asbestos cement roofs & siding, asbestos cement lining behind tiles or backing on vinyl flooring, asbestos used to insulate pipes, drywall, textured ceilings and vermiculite attic insulation. Asbestos can also be found in fire proofing materials on tanks & boilers, stucco, furnace tape, and roofing materials. 

Generally, asbestos can be found in all kinds of buildings. If you are considering a construction project and want to know if you’re at risk of asbestos exposure, your best bet is to call in the professionals for asbestos identification and safe abatement & removal.