Getting the Asbestos Out: How Removal Works

Getting the Asbestos Out: How Removal Works

Exposure to asbestos can result in a variety of health issues including lung cancer, mesothelioma, asbestosis, and more. That is why it is important to properly address the presence of asbestos.

If testing has found asbestos in your home, there are several things to know. The first thing to understand is that asbestos poses a threat when it is damaged or disturbed. That means that homeowners should avoid disturbing undamaged asbestos-containing materials and should limit exposure to areas where there is damaged material.

One of the most important things, of course, is to remove the material. This is not a job for amateurs, though. Due to how dangerous asbestos exposure can be, it is important that properly trained professionals do the work.

That work involves carefully removing the material. Steps will be taken to keep the material and dust from the material is not tracked or otherwise spread into other areas of the home.

The material is kept intact. It is sprayed down with a wetting agent in order to prevent dust.

All disposable materials from the job are sealed in leak-proof and labeled heavy-duty plastic bags. There will be no dust or debris visible at the end of this process.

After the removal work is completed, the area is thoroughly cleaned. There are a number of ways of achieving this from wet mops to HEPA vacuum cleaners; however, a regular vacuum cleaner is never used as this would risk spreading the contaminants.

Throughout the process, the area will be sealed off from the rest of the home. Household members will not have access to the affected area until completion. Read on asbestos testing for more details.

How Does Asbestos Removal Work?

Ever since the 1970s, we have learned in the United States that asbestos causes cancer. Now that we know better, we are trying to remove all the asbestos found in homes. Workers and others may still come into contact with the cancer-causing material. Asbestos was thought to be a good invention, which is why it was used in thousands of building materials, consumer goods, and other random products. Asbestos was a cheap, durable, and fire-resistant additive to manufactured products. Asbestos has since been banned in modern times.

Asbestos abatement is best done wearing protective gear that prevents the worker from breathing in particles. There are government-sponsored rules and regulations in place to prevent people from exposure to cancer-causing airborne asbestos fibers. Federal laws are set up to prevent the removal of asbestos in an unsafe manner. Some could unintentionally expose themselves or others to asbestos materials. Asbestos exposure can cause malignant mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancers, and asbestosis. Airborne asbestos cannot be seen with the naked eye, and inhaled asbestos lodges itself in the organs such as the heart, lungs, or abdomen, causing health issues many years later after the onset of exposure.

In order to prevent exposure to asbestos, a breathing apparatus has to be used so as not to breathe in the toxicity of the material. Asbestos was previously used in thousands of building products and in 1985, made up 20% of public and private buildings including residential apartment buildings containing friable asbestos. Asbestos can be found inside the following home materials, such as caulking, cement sheeting, concrete, electrical breakers, millboard, plasters, roof shingles/felt, sheetrock, siding, textured popcorn ceilings/ceiling tiles, vinyl floor tiles, and wiring. Asbestos was not only used in homes but in schools and company buildings, which is why in modern times, we try to remove it.

Read additional information at asbestos testing.

A Beginner’s Guide To Effective Asbestos Removal: Understanding The Process

Asbestos abatement involves technical procedures meant for trained, experienced professionals. Some buildings constructed before 1989 still contain asbestos materials because it was a widely used application back then. Information about the health risks involved didn’t become public knowledge until after 1989.

Now, environmentalists are taking extra care to spread the news and help homeowners reduce the risks of asbestos contamination. How does the asbestos removal process work?

1. Getting the Workspace Regulated

Professional asbestos technicians always exercise extreme caution to contain the material and prevent health risks. The step involves sealing off access points, which includes air ducts, setting up their equipment to contain negative pressure particles and disabling all active HVAC systems. These technicians will also plasticize the ceilings, floors, and walls to prevent surface damage when conducting asbestos treatment. The aim is to contain asbestos so that it does not spread to unaffected sites.

2. Removing Asbestos Material

With the trouble spots quarantined for treatment, asbestos abatement technicians use specialized tools and equipment to sanitize the space. They will gather all asbestos-containing materials and remove any traces of particles, then put them in waste bags. The technicians will seal the bags and bring them to the designated decontamination facility for disposal.

3. HEPA Asbestos Vacuuming

The final step involves HEPA vacuuming, where technicians will sanitize the whole area. They’ll use a specialized HEPA vacuum to finalize the process after giving all surfaces a thorough wet wipe cleaning. HEPA cleaning will eliminate any residual asbestos particles that might have survived manual scrubbing.

The asbestos abatement team will do a final swabbing to tests for samples and verify that the environment is free of contamination. Residents can reenter the home once the technicians confirm that it is asbestos-free and hospitable. Given the complex protocols involved, homeowners must hire a reputable, experienced asbestos remediation team for the job. Have your property inspected and consult with an asbestos testing specialist.

How Does Asbestos Removal Generally Work in a Home?

If you are going to contract with a company to take care of asbestos removal in your home, you will want to know how this works before you do.

Luckily, most companies dealing with asbestos removal carry out the removal using the same techniques. That means the following is what you can expect.

Segregating the affected areas — If you do not have asbestos in every room in your home, the areas where it is located will be taped off with large plastic sheets and tapes. This allows the asbestos to be removed from ceilings, under floors and in walls, without it escaping from one room to the rest of the house.

Air filtering — An air filter will also be set up that will filter the air in any room where asbestos is located. This allows clean air to be pumped in while air that may be contaminated with small particles of asbestos will be pumped out.

This keeps the room safe not just for you, but also for the technicians working there.

Once the rooms have been taped off and the air is being filtered, the asbestos removal will begin.

Bagging and disposing the asbestos — The asbestos that is being removed will be bagged in industrial strength garbage bags and loaded onto a truck. That truck will then be driven to a licensed disposal facility where the asbestos will be unloaded.

It will then be disposed of safely and legally.

Your home will be cleaned — The final step of any asbestos removal is the cleaning of your home. The company you hire will do this. That way they can ensure all asbestos has been removed, and your home is now safe to be lived in again.

At this point, they will also usually certify it to be asbestos-free. See asbestos testing for more information.

How Does Asbestos Removal Work? Why Is It So Important To Have It Done?

How Does Asbestos Removal Work? Who Can You Trust For It?

If you have found out that there is asbestos in your house and you need to get it removed, then it is time to think about which company can do this for you. And, if you are wondering how asbestos removal works, then you can look at each company and see how it goes about it. Maybe you will even find that one company seems more trustworthy than the others because of how it does the removal. And, if you feel that way, then it will be good to hire that company and let the asbestos get out of the house.

You’ll Feel Good When A Good Company Does It

When you know that the company you pick for the asbestos removal has done a lot of good work before, you will feel confident that the asbestos will be fully removed from your home. And that means that you can relax and live your life as normal there. You will feel great about how the company takes care of your home, and you will like that you don’t have to worry about asbestos any longer because of what it does for you.

Ask For Recommendations Or Do Your Research

So, when you are trying to find the right company to help you with the asbestos removal, or when you are curious about how that gets done, you can look it up online. Or, you can talk with your friends and neighbors to know more about the asbestos removal companies in town. You need to find out as much as you can so that you can hire the right one. When you do that, you will feel confident knowing that the asbestos won’t be an issue in your home anymore. Read on asbestos testing to know more.

Asbestos Removal…Why Hire a Professional

The purpose of this summary is to touch on three reasons to hire a company for asbestos removal, instead of doing it yourself. One can pay a small price to have it professionally done now or potentially pay a much larger price “down the road”.
The first reason is safety. Asbestos is toxic when it is disturbed and the fibers float freely in the air. Removal of asbestos requires safety equipment not normally possessed by the average person. Breathing these fibers can lead to hypertension, hoarse breathing, shortness of breath, swelling in the neck or head, and trouble swallowing. It is much simpler to hire a professional who already has these tools and knows how to use them than it is to “do it yourself”. Long-term health effects of dealing with asbestos removal include asbestosis and lung cancer. It just is not worth the risk to try to do it yourself.

Secondly, asbestos is a hazardous material and must be handled with extreme caution and disposed of with care. When removing asbestos, the asbestos needs to be from other rooms to prevent cross contamination. If cross-contamination does happen, exposed items need to be disposed of at a special asbestos waste station. Hiring someone else to remove the asbestos should ensure that contaminated items are disposed of at a special waste station.

A third reason is that the cost of doing it yourself is far greater than it would be for professionals. These costs would include specialized safety equipment and handling materials necessary to dispose of asbestos safely, disposal fees, hazardous materials survey, and inspection fees.

Since there is renewed concern for safety and asbestos removal, and people want to save money as well as saving their health, professional asbestos removal is definitely an option worth considering for your money and health. Get to learn more about the proper procedure of asbestos testing come visit us.

What Is Asbestos Testing? It Is Something That Will Make Your House Safe

What Is Asbestos Testing And Why Do You Need It?

If you have heard a lot about asbestos testing lately, and if you live in an older home, then you can know that this testing is something that you need because it will make sure that your home is safe. What it is, is when someone comes to your home and sees if there is any asbestos in there. Asbestos is dangerous, and if they find it, then you can have it removed and make your home safer.

Find A Company That Has Long Been Doing This Testing

When you find a company that has long been doing the same kind of work, you will find one that you will trust to do the work well for you. The company can see if there is asbestos in your home and give you a real answer about whether or not it is there. And, that same company can remove it if they do find it, which will be simple and easy for you. You have to pick the company that has been doing the testing for a while so that you will fully trust it to do what’s right.

Your Home Will Never Have Been Better

You may not have realized the harm that asbestos could cause before you started hearing about the testing that your friends and neighbors were having done, but once you realize how bad-for-you asbestos is, you will want to get your home tested. And, once it is tested and removed, your home will be better than ever. And you will feel good about your decision to stay living there because you know that everything is alright in your home. It isn’t bad for your health to be there anymore because the asbestos has been taken out.

Use Asbestos Testing to Prevent Unexpected Health Issues

Use Asbestos Testing to Prevent Unexpected Health Issues

Asbestos is a fibrous mineral used for its strength and heat-resistance in building materials in older homes. Houses built before 1980 may contain asbestos in materials, including floor tiles, insulation, ceiling tiles, and other materials used in constructing the home.

Asbestos dust is released into the air when asbestos materials become damaged or deteriorate over time. Once asbestos is airborne, it is highly toxic and becomes a severe health hazard if inhaled. Airborne asbestos particles can cause scarring of the tissue lining in the lungs (mesothelioma) and lung cancer.

Caution regarding asbestos is essential before renovating or buying an older home. A visual inspection of the house may not reveal the presence of asbestos, so it’s important to have your home tested by an EPA-approved certified professional contractor. These trained contractors have specialized equipment to minimize the risk of exposure and are licensed to handle asbestos.

Testing for asbestos starts with the contractor placing plastic sheeting below the location of the testing sample. Then the area is sprayed with water, which will keep loose fibers from becoming airborne. Next, a tool is used to collect the sample from the material. The contractor places the sample in a sealable container and sends it to an accredited lab for performing the asbestos analysis.

For building materials, the most common method of testing is Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM). This testing method uses the properties of polarized light to analyze specific properties in fibers. This process allows researchers to identify asbestos particles in the sample. PLM test results show the percentage of asbestos within a particular material after analysis.

If the test results show the presence of asbestos, a certified contractor can remove the materials from the house.

Other types of tests available for testing asbestos are Transmission Electron Microscopy, used for testing asbestos in soil, and Phase Contract Microscopy, used for testing asbestos in the air. Read on asbestos testing for more ideas.

Why You Should Hire A Professional Service For Asbestos Removal

 

     Anybody who knows they have to get asbestos removed from their home or office will often consider doing the removal themselves. After all, the cost of a professional asbestos removal can be high. Especially if the substance is discovered in several rooms.

Doing an asbestos removal yourself, however, is rarely a good idea. Especially when there are so many good reasons for paying for a professional service to do it instead.

The time factor preparing to remove asbestos — When a typical asbestos removal begins, the company you hire will tape off the affected area with large plastic sheets. This prevents any asbestos escaping from the contaminated area, and makes the entire removal process much faster.

As any company you hire usually has a lot of experience with asbestos removal, they will also be able to tape the plastic sheeting much faster than you could do yourself. This saves time on the removal itself.

The time factor on removing asbestos — When you do any asbestos removal, it must be carried out carefully and safely. For an amateur like yourself, this could mean adding several hours onto the time needed for asbestos removal. It could also mean you have to remain outside the building for days longer than is necessary while you finish the work.

With a professional service, however, they are so used to removing asbestos safely, they can do it safely but also quickly. This may often mean you can move back into the building even earlier than you expected, and have a completely safe building to move into.

The experience — Paying for a professional service means you are paying for experience. That experience comes with safety, efficiency and a good reputation. It also comes with a certificate of an asbestos-free building once the work has been completed.

Please see asbestos testing for more.

What is Asbestos Testing?

Asbestos is a substance that was used as an form of insulation in homes and commercial buildings for many years. Over a period of time, it became known that it was dangerous namely due to a risk that when it was inhaled it became a cancer causing agent. Because of this, asbestos was banned and is no longer in usage.

The Lurking Threat

Just because asbestos was banned from usage doesn’t mean it doesn’t pose a threat. Asbestos was the most popular form of insulation in a home and it’s Use was widespread and notable. It is still installed in many homes and poses a major threat to homeowners around the world. The risk escalated when major work is done in a home in the form of a renovation or remodeling as the asbestos fibers are often kicked into the air and leads to a heightened risk of health issues. Further, many homeowners do not even know that there is asbestos present in their home as they bought their home significantly after the asbestos ban was put in place. Asbestos is commonly behind walls and it is unknown to a homeowner or person looking for themselves. That is where asbestos testing comes in.

Having Your Home Tested for Asbestos

If you suspect their is asbestos in your home you should have it checked by a professional firm that specializes in asbestos removal. Asbestos testing is best left to a professional with the experience to identify asbestos and who can verify that your home is asbestos free. This verification goes a long way if you are trying to sell your home and prove to a potential buyer that there is no asbestos present. Further, it can set your mind at ease and reduce the fear of bodily harm to you and your family from asbestos.