Planning on giving your home space a makeover? Looking to add a new room or break down a wall to give way to a bigger space?
Before anything else, you might want to know if it’s safe to do it, especially if your building was erected in the 90s or earlier. The reason? Asbestos.
If you’re are renovating or demolishing a wall at home, you need to be careful about disrupting asbestos building products. The use of asbestos has been prohibited in the UK since 1999 due to its health hazards. Exposure to this material has been found to cause cancer and respiratory illnesses.
Even today, asbestos still lurks in homes and buildings before it was declared illegal. Its widespread application toward the end of the 19th century included insulation, coatings, roofing, and flooring.
As these old structures deteriorate, renovation and maintenance are required to be done, which means traces of asbestos could still pose health risks to people in the location.
You may ask, “What makes asbestos dangerous, and what can you do to remove it from your building and avoid exposure?” We’ll explain them to you in this article.
What Makes Asbestos Dangerous?
Asbestos is made up of soft, flexible, microscopic fibers that are once disturbed, may be released, and remain suspended in the air. Once these fibers are inhaled, they may remain in the respiratory system and other organs for a long time and may lead to lung cancer and several other ailments.
Certain occupations such as those involved in construction, electricity generation, firefighting, and heavy industry are at higher risk. Still, residents and other building occupants are also no exception to the dangers of asbestos exposure.
Where is Asbestos Commonly Found in Your Home?
Asbestos may be present in many places throughout your home. Typically, it is found in:
- Ceiling cavities
- Exterior cement tile siding
- Floor tiles
- Heating pipe insulation wrap
- Pipe cement
- Roofing tiles
- Roof flashing
- Sheet vinyl flooring
- Wallboard
The good news is that as long as asbestos remains undisturbed, it poses lower health risks. Whether you aim to remove asbestos from your structure or just avoid disturbance, the first step is to determine its presence.
What to Do If You Suspect Your House Contains Asbestos
This is where asbestos testing comes in. It is important to know beforehand if your materials contain this hazardous element before doing any groundwork.
Asbestos-sampling.com offers helpful solutions for your asbestos testing needs. There are asbestos testing kits available in the market that come with easy-to-follow instructions, personal protective equipment, and everything else you need to safely take samples of materials. These can be sent to your trusted local asbestos testing centers who will send you results in a day or so. Since the sampling is partly DIY, it could help you save money and control the process for you. Even if you do hire asbestos testing experts, testing kits are a good way to start.
Another way is to conduct a full survey. This applies to those who are unsure where asbestos might be found in their building. Hiring professionals will help you confirm the presence of asbestos in your building more efficiently.
In Conclusion
Your home or building is an investment-worthy of being maintained and taken care of. Getting it checked for asbestos before any work is done saves you even greater than what you’ll be covered if any untoward incident happens due to asbestos exposure. Contact your local asbestos testing company today.
