What To Do When You Find Asbestos In Your Home?

Asbestos is a huge part of older homes, especially those built or remodeled in the 80s. The material was good for insulation and soon became a common option for most construction engineers. More construction contractors adopted the material due to its durability, fire-resistant properties, and more. However, over time, it was found to be dangerous to the health, causing lung cancer and related respiratory conditions when dispersed in the air. 

The health threats associated with asbestos have been the driving factor behind asbestos inspection and Residential Asbestos Removal in Los Angeles CA. Finding out your home has asbestos can be disheartening, but you must act fast to protect yourself and prevent adverse health conditions. Below are some of the important information you need to know about finding asbestos in your home and getting rid of it.

Where to Find Asbestos in Your Home

Asbestos isn’t dangerous in its natural and solid state. However, it becomes a threat when it is old and dispersed in powdery form. The powdery form can be inhaled, leading to an accumulation of asbestos deposits in the lungs.

Finding asbestos in your home is the first step towards determining what to do. Some of the common places you’re likely to find this material include;

• Textured or popcorn paint
• Drywall
• Cement
• Boilers and water tanks
• Gutters
• Insulation
• Pipes
• Roofing shingles
• Tiles in the floor or ceiling

Detecting asbestos may not be easy for untrained eyes. You should hire a professional company to test your home for asbestos.

Safety Tips When Asbestos is Detected

Below are some general precautions to take if asbestos has been detected on your property;

Avoid contact

Asbestos is often confined to certain home areas where they have been used as a construction material. Your asbestos testing company or professional will tell you the areas where they’ve discovered the material and how they intend to remove it. You should avoid direct or indirect contact with such areas until the removal has been done.

 Wear protective covering 

Wearing a nose covering or a protective mask may be essential for reducing your exposure to the dangerous construction material. If available, get a nose mask to filter the air you breathe. You should also imbibe washing your hands regularly to eliminate asbestos deposits that may have settled on your skin.

You can also ventilate the affected area to ensure the dispersal of asbestos-laden air and to reduce the harmful material’s concentration in your home.

Isolate the danger

If the asbestos problem is specific to an area of your home, ensure that such an area is isolated until the removal company is done removing it.

Educate other inhabitants

A good way to reduce the health risks associated with the asbestos problem is to educate others about the problem areas and the associated health risks. Ensure that all property inhabitants are kept away from the affected area until the asbestos is removed.

What are My Options After Finding Asbestos in My Home?

A couple of options are available to you after discovering asbestos in your home. The key ones include;

Testing 

Discovering asbestos in your home can be alarming, however, a good way to properly safeguard yourself and your loved ones is by testing to ensure you identify all of the affected areas. Contact an asbestos testing and removal company to detect the extent of the problem in your home.

Also Read:- Are Home Hepatitis C Tests Accurate?

Contain the problem 

Asbestos problems confined to an area of the home may not be too much of a problem, especially if it can be contained. You can choose to cover the problem up if it has started from a slightly damaged material in non-essential areas of your property. You must ensure that such areas are restricted from public use.

Seal it

Asbestos treatment companies often offer homeowners an alternative to asbestos removal. By sealing the asbestos using the encapsulation technique, you can be sure that it won’t have as much negative effect on your health.

When sealed, the sealing material binds with the asbestos and coats it, thus protecting your home from further air contamination.

Sell your home

Homeowners may choose to sell their homes when extensive asbestos problems are detected. Selling may be a way of reducing costs, especially if such a homeowner isn’t financially prepared for the cost of asbestos removal or encapsulation.

Please be advised that selling your home because of asbestos should be the last option. It may be better to speak to an asbestos testing and removal company about the extent of the asbestos problem and the cost of removal or encapsulation. You may also want to find out about possible financing solutions to ease the financial burden by spreading payment over months.