Do You Suspect Asbestos in Your Home?

Asbestos was once a key material in residential and commercial construction because of its enhanced fireproof characteristics. Over the last few decades, it was discovered that dust given off by asbestos fibers is highly toxic and can create severe and chronic health problems including cancer. Most municipalities have banned the use of asbestos in construction and some even require it be removed once discovered at a property. If your home or commercial space was built in the 1990’s or earlier, asbestos may have been used in its construction. Any breathing or health related problems may indicate the presence of asbestos and should be investigated immediately.

Common areas around the home that might have asbestos

Asbestos has enhanced fire proof characteristics and was the go to building material for decades. Older homes may have asbestos is several different locations but it was also used in many industrial and commercial applications because of its fire resistant nature.

Asbestos is commonly found in:

• Wall and attic insulation
• Insulation and wraps for pipes and hot water tanks
• Roofing shingles that are cement or made directly from asbestos
• Roofing tiles and under lining
• Home siding and exterior trim
• Soundproofing and home theater ceiling tiles and wall padding
• Certain plaster and joint compounds and applications
• Non labelled paints and commercial strength adhesives including flooring adhesive
• Electrical wire and junction box casings and insulation sleeves
• Some chemically treated and engineered flooring applications
• Caulking, curtains, duct wrap ,drywall compound, stucco, lath and plaster.

Experienced and certified professionals that provide asbestos testing and removal in Mississauga will know where to look based on the age of the home, home design and diagnostic test results and will have the necessary tools and equipment to locate and fully remove the harmful substance from your home.

The next steps in performing detailed asbestos testing and removal in Mississauga

Testing for asbestos is not a Do-It-Yourself project and there are no off the shelf kits for consumers to use. Because of the severe health risks, most municipalities have regulated inspections to experts who have undergone extensive training and certification in asbestos testing and removal in Mississauga.

If you suspect asbestos in your home, the next few steps are recommended to ensure complete removal of the hazardous material:

• Consult with a certified asbestos removal professional and outline your concerns including age and square feet of the home
• The pre-inspection is conducted by the professional and is essentially a visual inspection to initially determine the location of any possible asbestos site
• The professional will use the latest tools and equipment further investigate and test for asbestos by taking air samples, surface samples and samples of dust around the home
• Once samples are obtained and secured, the inspector will send samples off to a third party laboratory for chemical testing to confirm the presence of asbestos
• Detailed lab reports will be sent back to the inspector for analysis and the professional will share the results in plain English
• If the presence of asbestos is confirmed in the home, the certified professional will draw up solutions for the complete removal of the hazardous substance from the home

Asbestos in your home is a serious matter and contacting a certified and trained inspectors is critical for the health and safety of the residents of the home.

InchByInch are experts in asbestos testing and removal in Mississauga

Your home should provide a high level of enjoyment and consistent quality of life. If you suspect the presence of asbestos or have confirmed it through extensive testing, you should immediately contact a certified and expertly trained contractor such as InchByInch. Inspectors at InchByInch are completely certified by InterNachi and have all the latest training and resources to ensure accurate testing and removal of any hazardous material at your property.

By hiring InchByInch for asbestos testing and removal in Mississagua, you can expect:

• Extensive inspection at the property and thorough testing of various samples within the home
• Detailed testing reports and plain language explanations of test results by the inspector
• An asbestos removal plan and written estimate for the work that is clear and easy to understand
• Total eradication of asbestos from the property and safe disposal for material and debris
• An detailed explanation of the work completed and testing to confirm all asbestos has been removed from the property
• Your 100% satisfaction for the work completed

Trusting InchByInch for your asbestos removal project is your best choice for a stress free experience.

The critical steps for removing asbestos from your Mississauga property

The sheer toxicity of asbestos material means a more complex and detailed removal and disposal process. Sloppy or incorrectly performed procedures can easily spread more asbestos dust around further contamination other areas of the home. Hiring a certified professional means you are getting an expert who has the latest training and processes to safely remove and dispose of asbestos material.

InchByInch crews perform the following common procedures for asbestos removal:

• Identify and mark off all locations of asbestos inside the home
• Seal off the area with temporary walls to prevent dust and debris from escaping during area demolition
• Secure and contain debris and material in specialized containers that prevent dust from escaping
• Safely dispose of containers and bagged material according to municipal and provincial regulations

In some severe cases, residents may not be allowed to reside in the home until after the removal project is complete and retested for asbestos.

Only certified professionals can inspect for asbestos and provide removal solutions

The effects of consistent exposure to asbestos dust and material is so severe that local and provincial governments have stepped in to regulate and mandate the testing and removal of asbestos in residential homes. Homeowners cannot test for asbestos with any consumer available kits and only trained professionals have the latest equipment and training to accurately test for and remove asbestos. Removing and disposing asbestos material is also a regulated process and requires training and certification. Homeowners do not have the experience and the proper removal and disposal equipment needed to complete the job and ensure toxic material does not spread to other parts of the home or into the environment. InchByInch crews and inspectors are fully certified and trained for asbestos testing and removal in Mississauga and should be your first call if you have questions or suspect asbestos at your property.

Older GTA and Mississauga properties may have used asbestos extensively in construction

The severe health effects of asbestos has been known for decades but the US officially banned the material in 1979 and the international construction community followed suit by removing the mineral from construction materials and insulation products. If you own a home built before 1985, there may be a good chance that asbestos was used in the construction but ongoing inspections have revealed asbestos material in home built up until the early 1990’s. Asbestos faces a national ban in Canada this year and removal may become mandatory under the new legislation. If you suspect asbestos at your property are are experience strange and out of place health symptoms, you should immediately consider hiring a certified professional to test for the toxic substance.

Asbestos in homes can create severe health problems

Over time, asbestos can break down and release dust into the air. The dust is made up of tiny microscopic shards of metal that can cause severe health problems if constantly exposed to the dust.

Breathing in these shards creates scarring in the lungs which can lead to a wide range of chronic health problems:

• Asbestosis occurs when the dust is breathed in and the metal shards prevent air exchanges to occur in the lungs causing shortness of breath
• Pleural Disease happens when the membrane outside the lungs is damaged by the asbestos dust and can cause severe shortness of breath and oxygen depletion
• In some cases, more severe scarring in the lungs occurs which can lead to lung cancer
• In rare cases, exposure to asbestos dust can cause Mesothelioma, which is a cancer of the outside membrane around the lungs

Contacting a certified professional is your first step when suspecting asbestos

Breathing in asbestos is unsafe and can cause severe problems in the lungs including terminal cancer. InchByInch inspections understand the severity and critical nature of asbestos problems and fully trained and certified by InterNACHI, the association that regulates asbestos testing and removal. If your Mississauga or GTA home was built in the 1990’s or earlier or are experiencing health and breathing related issues, InchByInch is should be your first call for any questions you may have or to arrange immediate testing of the property for the toxic material.

InchByInch are certified experts in asbestos testing and removal in Mississauga

Older homes and commercial buildings constructed during the 1990’s and earlier may have had asbestos material used during construction. InchByInch has extensive expertise in asbestos detection and removal in both residential and commercial type properties. InchByInch Inspections are fully certified by InterNACHI and have the latest training and equipment to locate and safely remove asbestos from your property and safely dispose of toxic material. Removing asbestos is not a do it yourself job and the pros at InchByInch deliver detailed inspection and assessment results that are easy to understand along with the most efficient and safest solution to remove the toxic substance from the property.