Testing Your Home for Asbestos Before DIY Projects

Improving your home is a great way to have a quality and productive time with your family, especially if everyone comes with special skills needed for renovations and refurbishing. You can use that allotted time to bond, hone your practical skills, and even offer each other advice on what or how to perform home improvements from time to time. Testing your home for asbestos before DIY projects should always be the first item on your checklist.

Of course, proper planning has to be done first to ensure that everyone will be doing their part efficiently, but even that is already manageable in the most practical sense. Now, while it may all seem straightforward, you must not forget that some houses were built with asbestos-containing materials as some of their main components. 

Generally known as a harmful substance, they are often the cause of lung cancer and asbestosis, two complex diseases that can shorten a person’s lifespan if they’re not careful. If you live in California, the risk is even higher as it is known to have its homes built primarily with asbestos as its main component.

With all of that in mind, here’s a quick guide for future reference if you’re planning to check for asbestos in your home. It is advisable to note as much information as possible before even starting your DIY project to ensure that no one will be at risk.

Asbestos: A Necessary or Unnecessary Risk?

There’s a reason asbestos has been used in the past for construction purposes. It has been the main component for structures throughout many decades due to its undeniable durability, insulation, and characteristics of being both fireproof and waterproof. Contractors were amazed by its features, much so that it was probably too late until they realized that there were also disadvantages to using it.

The health risks imposed by asbestos are too crucial for anyone to ignore, and this is because the illnesses it causes mainly target the human lungs. You might have known a couple of people who worked in the construction industry and ended up encountering this component within their line of work. It is no surprise that most of them have developed stable conditions, all due to a lack of caution against asbestos.

The question of whether or not asbestos is still necessary as a major component of construction materials is no longer in need of any further answers, as the health conditions of those who’ve encountered them before are living proof of their hazards.

The Blind Check

There is no definite way of checking it by yourself. Your best chance would be to go for a proper asbestos abatement process, as you wouldn’t be able to identify them just by glancing at your walls as they are mainly tiny particles. 

Another major thing that you must remember is that there is no definite location for them. Your kitchen tiles may contain them, your bedroom structures may contain them, and even your kid’s playroom may be riddled with them. Hire a professional that has all the proper tools to check for asbestos-containing materials in your home.

Asbestos comes in many forms, all of which are harmful to the human body. Some variants include chrysotile, amosite, and crocidolite, all of which are equally risky when inhaled.

Conclusion

It is always better to plan out a DIY project with your household before proceeding with it. This is done to avoid any encounter with the harmful component that is asbestos. The long-term condition that it presents to the human body is no laughing matter, much so that even people who’ve encountered them before ended up suffering throughout the years that came after. 

Hiring a professional with the right tools would be your most viable option, especially if you aren’t familiar with the proper way of handling and removing them from your home. Invest in this solution and save your household from any possible lung conditions or health problems in the future.

If you are looking for asbestos removal companies, look no further than CVE. We are a licensed environmental and general engineering company that specializes in asbestos removal, mold remediation, COVID-19 cleaning, deconstruction services, among other environmental services. Contact us today to learn more.