Asbestos

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 Asbestos is a mineral fiber that occurs in rock and soil.   Because of its fiber strength and heat resistance asbestos has been used in a variety of building construction materials for insulation and as a fire retardant.  

• 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

 Asbestos fibers may be released into the air by the disturbance of asbestos-containing material during product use, demolition work, building or home maintenance, repair, and remodeling. In general, exposure may occur only when the asbestos-containing material is disturbed or damaged in some way to release particles and fibers into the air. 

Exposure to asbestos increases your risk of developing lung disease. That risk is made worse by smoking. In general, the greater the exposure to asbestos, the greater the chance of developing harmful health effects.

Disease symptoms may take many years to develop following exposure.

Three of the major health effects associated with asbestos exposure are:

• lung cancer
• mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that is found in the thin lining of the lung, chest and the abdomen and heart
• asbestosis, a serious progressive, long-term, non-cancer disease of the lungs

 Our team can perform dust, bulk, air, and soil sampling to accurately determine if asbestos is present.

• If you are buying, selling or renting a condominium, co-op or home built before 1980
• Before you or your contractor do any renovations on property built before 1980
• Before you or your contractor do any demolition work on property built before 1980
• After the completion of an asbestos abatement project.