Should I be concerned about Asbestos during my water damage remediation?

For many years now, the law has been that any structure built before 1981 here in the Las Vegas Valley needs to be tested for Asbestos and Asbestos-containing materials. However, does this automatically mean that my home contains Asbestos, and, if so, how can I keep myself and my family safe?

The reason behind this law requiring testing dates to the elimination of Asbestos as a material in commercial-building products back in the 1970’s. While these regulatory commissions stated that companies could no longer put asbestos into their products, Asbestos-containing products manufactured before the mandate was handed down were still on the shelves well after this date, even being put into use years after the Asbestos mandate was passed.

As a fire-retardant material, many saw Asbestos as a miracle product, resisting flame and heat at even the closest distances. However, even as far back as the late 1890’s, the negative effects of Asbestos exposure were known, but still put into use. The amount of Asbestos-containing material is astonishing, even today, ranging from tiles, wallboard, siding and roofing materials (includes roofing shingles, roofing felt, base flashing, cement wallboard, cement siding, ceiling tiles and lay-in panels, asphalt floor tile, vinyl floor tile, vinyl sheet flooring, flooring backing, and vinyl wall coverings).

One that many homeowners are well-aware of already is the use of Asbestos in popcorn ceiling coverings. Luckily, encapsulating the asbestos with a layer of paint is enough to not have to worry about it on a day-to-day basis. However, if one ever needs to do exploratory work in a ceiling, there would certainly be a concern about whether that material being cut does contain Asbestos.

In cases like these and for safety over all, trained experts can and should test for Asbestos, even if the year of the property does fall slightly outside of the range typically associated with Asbestos-containing materials. With a company like IRS, all our workers are Asbestos Aware, and know what to look out for, in order to secure you and your homes’ safety. With IRS, you are in capable and caring hands.