Asbestos Testing for House Renovation
Wednesday, February 9th, 2011There have been hundreds of deaths due to asbestos poisoning.And, because of its hard nature, it was used frequently in the homes, which were built before the 1980s.It is commonly used in walls, ceiling and pipes until the latter years when researchers found out that asbestos, when inhaled, can cause death.If you bought a home that is built in the 80s, better have a professional do asbestos testing and see.
Actually Asbestos is a natural microscopic white material, which has a fibrous appearance. However, its particles keep floating in the air.The problem is if you inhaled too much, it can cause diseases including cancer.However, unless the asbestos breaks into pieces, the particles do not float in the air, and so if your home is not breaking apart, the asbestos will remain intact.Nevertheless, in case you are renovating the home, then getting the asbestos testing will help decide about how to renovate, without risking the breaking of asbestos.
To ensure that the fibers are not dispersed in the air, the asbestos testing needs to be done very carefully.First of all, the tester will wear gloves, plastic coats and masks to ensure that he is protected from direct contact with asbestos.The furniture and the floor, walls, ceilings etc. are covered with plastic covers.He also has to shut off all windows, doors and heating and cooling systems so as to not make the asbestos mix in with the air.The material to be tested will then be blown using a water and detergent mixture.The tester than uses a knife to cut a small part as a sample for further testing.This sample will then be put into a tightly sealed container.And with the other samples, he will bring it to the lab for further testing.If the sample shows positive traces of asbestos, then it is recommended that you hire professionals to remove the asbestos from the home.
But for those who don’t like the idea of spending money on this procedure, there are also asbestos testing DIY kits.This kit contains sample spatulas and containers that are said to be sterilized and you can order one from the internet.However, after you collect the samples, you still need to get the pieces to the laboratory, which is an expensive affair. Also, since the containers are small, and unless you do it right, asbestos may break into particles, which can enter your respiratory system.