Asbestos removal

In most cases, there is little reason to worry about your household containing asbestos - unless your home has damaged building materials or you are planning on remodeling it. However, because you can’t tell whether any material has asbestos by just looking at it, it is easy to overlook the need for a trained professional who can identify this resistant and potentially dangerous mineral. 

Asbestos fibers may be released into the air due to the disturbance of asbestos-containing material during demolition work, building or home maintenance, and of course, remodeling. Your exposure to asbestos puts you at risk of developing serious illnesses, such as  lung cancer, asbestosis (which is a serious non-cancer disease affecting your lungs), and mesothelioma (which is a form of cancer that can be found in the lining of organs including the lung and heart).

According to the EPA, this is where asbestos may be found in your household:

• Attic and wall insulation produced containing vermiculite
• Vinyl floor tiles and the backing on vinyl sheet flooring and adhesives
• Roofing and siding shingles
• Textured paint and patching compounds used on walls and ceilings
• Walls and floors around wood-burning stoves protected with asbestos paper, millboard, or cement sheets
• Hot water and steam pipes coated with asbestos material or covered with an asbestos blanket or tape
• Oil and coal furnaces and door gaskets with asbestos insulation
• Heat-resistant fabrics
• Automobile clutches and brakes

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), meanwhile, says the amount of asbestos that gets into the air people breathe depends on many factors, such as:

• the location,
• the type of material or soil the asbestos is in,
• the age and characteristics of that material,
• weather conditions and moisture, and
• the intensity of the activity disturbing the asbestos

As a homeowner, if you worry that you might be at the risk of being exposed to asbestos, we advise that you do not dust, sweep, or vacuum any debris that may contain asbestos, that you do not attempt to saw or sand asbestos-containing materials - including trying to level asbestos flooring. Instead, you should call SLC Disaster Cleanup Services, so we can send our trained professionals who are qualified in handling and removing asbestos in a safe manner. We will carry out a professional job that ensures:

• That we protect the rest of the house from where work is taking place using the appropriate equipment and materials.
• That we take the necessary precautions, in terms of turning off your HVAC system
• That there is no spreading or tracking of asbestos dust into other areas of your home through the haphazard breaking of removed material.
• That we dispose of all materials, including clothing used during the job, in leak-proof plastic bags.
• That the entire area is cleaned using the appropriate vacuum cleaners upon finishing the job.

Contact Go Flood Pros to get a free quote or arrange an appointment so we can help you restore your home.