Finding asbestos inside your home can be a terrifying and unnerving experience. After all, asbestos fibres, particularly when they are airborne, can lead to respiratory problems, cancers, and even death. Therefore, steps should be taken to determine if asbestos is found anywhere in your home. And, when found, steps can then be taken to determine whether or not the asbestos is actually a threat to the health of your family or if it can stay put.
It’s Difficult to Identify Asbestos
First off, it is important to note that it is very difficult to determine whether or not a material contains asbestos simply by looking at it. If the material has a label that designates it as asbestos, you will know for certain. But you should otherwise treat the material as though it does indeed contain asbestos if you are not sure. This means simply leaving the material as it is without disturbing or damaging it.
Call Local Asbestos Experts
If you absolutely want answers as to whether or not your home contains asbestos, or if you are planning on remodelling your home or doing a lot of repair work throughout it and you want to be sure you will not be destroying or damaging any asbestos-containing materials, it really is best to call in the experts in this field who will able to take samples of materials throughout your home that may contain asbestos. These samples are then tested and analysed to confirm the presence or absence of this deadly material.
Why should you call in an expert to get the sample? First off, fibres that are disturbed and become airborne are dangerous when inhaled, but an expert will know how to properly take a sample without disturbing the asbestos fibres.
Remember that, if you aren’t planning on making repairs or remodels throughout your home–even if you do have asbestos materials–they will not pose any risk unless the fibres are disturbed. Therefore, take care to ensure that your home remains in great condition, and keep a close eye on the asbestos materials to look for signs of wear, tear, water damage, etc. that may make the fibres become loose.
If You End Up Finding Asbestos in Your Home
In the event that you do find asbestos inside your home, you may be curious as to what you need to do about it to keep your entire family safe from its harmful fibres. First off, you want to remain calm and really assess the situation with a level head.
Check that the asbestos materials are intact and not disturbed. If they are damaged, you will need to contact a reputable asbestos removal company that has the experts who can come in and remove the asbestos without causing a danger to your family. In the event that the asbestos materials are intact, you can simply leave it alone and only contact the asbestos removal experts if you are planning on renovating or otherwise disturbing those materials.