Asbestos. It’s a daunting word—especially when you learn that you may have it in your home. We all know that asbestos isn’t “good”, but what exactly does it mean for you if your home has it? As part of our Home Inspection Series, we’re diving into what exactly asbestos is, how you can test for it, and what it means for your home if the test comes back positive.
What is asbestos?
Asbestos is a naturally occurring, fibrous silicate material that has six types—all of which can be released into the atmosphere by abrasion or disruption. Asbestos is a highly-effective and inexpensive fireproof material that was used in home construction from the early 1940s through the late 1980s.
Is asbestos harmful?
The short answer is yes and no. Asbestos does have the potential to be harmful and cause a variety of long-term respiratory conditions if inhaled, but that doesn’t mean you should be worried if it is present in your home. The only time when asbestos can be harmful is if it is disturbed, becomes airborne, and is inhaled.
Note that asbestos isn’t easily disturbed and there is no reason to be worried if you learn that your home does indeed have asbestos in the drywall, floors or ceiling!
When should I test for asbestos?
Though it is not a part of the typical home inspection, it is still part of your due diligence. If your home was built before 1990, there is a high chance that asbestos may be present in your Edmonton home. But don’t fret yet! Just because your home may have asbestos doesn’t even mean you need to test for it—like mentioned above, it is only ever harmful when it gets disturbed and becomes airborne (like during a renovation or demolition).
You can test for asbestos at any time. This can happen years after owning your home or even before purchasing! If you are looking to test before purchasing, your realtor will negotiate with the seller to get special permission before closing. Because asbestos can be expensive to get removed, some buyers may walk away from purchasing a home if they were looking to do major renovations.
Who do I call to get asbestos testing?
Many of our clients have been through asbestos testing and used Edmonton-based companies to get it tested safely and quickly. Here are list of reliable asbestos testing companies our clients have used:
- Asbestos and Mold Removal Edmonton
- RH Services Inc.
- Environmental Monitoring Solutions
- Edmonton Asbestos Removal Pros
- Safety Coordination Services
The process of testing for asbestos
Though there are DIY testing kits that can be purchased online and sent to the lab for testing, we suggest that asbestos testing be done by a professional, always. Not only is it safer (which should be reason in itself), but it is often a faster turnaround for results.
On-site sampling prices vary from around $250 to $750, depending on the size of the home and the amount of areas sampled. And if you want to take it a step further and monitor the air in your home, that can cost you an additional $1000, approximately.
If asbestos is found in your home, there may be an additional cost to get it removed. In the spirit of transparency, it doesn’t tend to be cheap. Found on the Canadian Hazmat Environmental website, a 2,200 square foot home starts at about $9,000 for asbestos removal. It goes without saying that it can be a large expense and should be taken seriously!
Because of the large cost of asbestos removal, it can be important to do testing before you purchase a home, especially if you plan to give your new home a facelift. It can save you money in the long run, and will give you peace of mind with your big purchase.
If you are in the market to purchase a fix’r up’r but want to learn more about asbestos, feel free to send us a message to get started. We are more than happy to set up a call, discuss your home buying plans and start your search with you.
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