Asbestos Testing – Safety Tips and Advice

Are you interested in learning more about asbestos testing because you are either living in a home or working in a building that contains asbestos products? Asbestos has been used in manufacturing thousands of products over the past one hundred plus years because of its many unique and valuable qualities. Unfortunately, after decades of using this fibrous mineral it was found to cause mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, and other asbestos-related diseases. Because of this, asbestos regulations were put into place to help protect the general public.

Even though the use of asbestos has been banned and phased out, it still exists in older homes and buildings, which makes asbestos testing very important. As the products containing asbestos grow older, such as asbestos ceiling tiles and asbestos floor tiles, they can become damaged or get disturbed, causing asbestos fibers to become airborne. Once these fibers get released into the air they can be inhaled by unsuspecting people, leading to deadly asbestos diseases. If you suspect that your home contains asbestos it is vital that you hire a professional to perform asbestos testing. It’s possible to test for asbestos on your own, but it’s usually safer to hire an experienced inspector to do the asbestos testing.

Asbestos testing can range in price from $50 up to $1,000 or more, but if it’s found in your home it is important that you deal with it immediately. If asbestos testing verifies the existence of asbestos, you have three possible options. First, if the asbestos-containing products are still in excellent shape and have not been damaged, it is sometimes possible to simply leave them as they are. If there is no danger of these deadly fibers being released into the air, it may be the safest option to leave them undisturbed.

After completing the asbestos testing procedure, if the asbestos-containing materials have been disturbed or damaged, and are either releasing fibers into the air or have the potential of releasing asbestos particles into the air, they must be completely removed or sealed. Sometimes it may be beneficial to spray the offending materials with a sealant, effectively sealing or encapsulating the materials to prevent the release of any asbestos fibers. However, more often than not, once you have verified the presence of asbestos during asbestos testing, it is wise to have the materials completely removed by professionals. The job of removing asbestos and asbestos disposal can be done without professional help, but removing asbestos materials on your own can sometimes be just as expensive and a whole lot more dangerous. If you should decide to take on the job of either asbestos testing or asbestos removal by yourself, you should receive proper asbestos training or asbestos courses before tackling the job of asbestos testing.

The task of asbestos testing involves taking samples of the questionable materials and sending them to a lab for inspection. Doing this job yourself requires extreme care and training before the job is to be undertaken. A professional inspector knows what types of materials may contain asbestos and will first proceed with a visual inspection. In many cases, unless it is explicitly stated on the material, you cannot tell whether or not a product does indeed contain asbestos. If any possible asbestos products are found, samples are taken for microscopic examination in a laboratory. For an additional charge, air monitoring on site can be performed.

You can save money by performing your own asbestos testing by taking samples and mailing them to a lab, but extreme caution must be used when doing asbestos testing without the help of a professional. When performing an asbestos test, a protective breathing apparatus, as well as other safety gear, should be used to prevent contamination of any kind. The safest approach with asbestos testing is to assume that all materials being sampled do indeed contain asbestos and treat them accordingly. Also, it’s important to turn off all air conditioning or heating systems before taking any samples. The last thing you want to do is spread potentially deadly fibers throughout the building. Before taking any samples, be sure to wet down the materials with a mixture of water and liquid detergent in a spray bottle to prevent any fibers from becoming airborne.

Another precaution when performing asbestos testing is to disturb the products as little as possible. After spraying the materials with a water and liquid detergent solution, either cut or scrape a piece of material and place it into a container or Ziploc bag and seal it completely. Be sure to take a sample from the entire depth of the material and wipe off any residue with a wet paper towel that may have been deposited on the outside of any container. Add your name, phone number, and ID number to a label and fasten it to the container. The ID number is just a way for you to tell where the sample was taken from. For example, you can label one container “Sample 1 from popcorn ceiling in living room,” and another “Sample 2 from asbestos insulation in bedroom wall.” Most of the time with asbestos testing you can take one sample from an area, but in the case of a large popcorn ceiling you should take three samples from different areas of the ceiling. Small ceilings should require just one single sample.

Asbestos testing is commonly done on asbestos floor tile. When doing an asbestos test for asbestos tiles you will need to take two samples – one of the floor itself, and another of the flooring adhesive. Either or both of these two materials may contain asbestos and should be examined separately in the lab. Once the samples have been taken and sealed in containers, they can then be mailed to a lab. However, it is extremely important that you call the lab first and get detailed instructions on how to package the materials for mailing. Asbestos testing is the first step in the asbestos removal process and should be handled with great care. If you don’t use extreme care during asbestos testing, it could lead to major health issues in the future. And if asbestos is found, it is important to remove it, no matter what the asbestos removal cost may be. It can also be very beneficial to learn how to read an asbestos report or take online asbestos awareness training and various asbestos training courses, including asbestos removal training courses, to learn how to avoid exposure and perform removal. Also, before buying an older home, be sure to get an asbestos survey to ensure that the home is safe.