Remodeling is often a great way to take something old and make it new, attractive and functional once more. Whether it is an old office space or a home in desperate need of an update, if the property was built anytime before 1980, there is a chance that it has some kind of asbestos in the building materials. That is just one of the reasons that remodeling needs to be coupled with asbestos testing from a professional like ours at Double D Construction Services, Inc.
Even if you aren’t tearing down walls or creating a more dramatic before/after, there are many different areas of a property that can still have asbestos. Things like joint compound, wall and ceiling texture, shingles, siding, insulation and even flooring materials (usually older linoleum) have been shown to contain asbestos. These areas will need to be tested before any demolition should take place for your safety and your health.
Asbestos is usually the most dangerous when it starts to degrade or crumble. This releases harmful particles into the air which, when breathed in by unsuspecting humans, cause a type of lung cancer known as mesothelioma. Doing any type of remodeling, such as scraping off an old popcorn ceiling, sanding down a wall for painting, tearing down walls, replacing flooring, etc. can cause these issues to flare up, risking your health.
If you have an older property that you want to remodel, please make sure that you take the time to have asbestos testing done before you start! Not only will you save yourself some serious health concerns, but you can also save yourself a delay in the remodeling process should you need to pause for asbestos abatement. Make sure you get your asbestos testing done today!