Asbestos In Your Home

Asbestos was so widely incorporated in both residential and industrial construction at one time (largely from the 1930’s to 1970) that it was used in areas you may not be expecting.  Here’s a look at some of the lesser known places you might find it in an older home:

• Wall sheeting, often used in areas like the kitchen, bathroom and laundry room – you’ll sometimes see this in the wall panels, often patterned and glazed, which were screwed into the walls around showers or baths, for example
• Ceiling sheeting and lining
• Bonded patching compounds, often used around windows
• Textured paints, which may appear under the brand names Marblecoat, Pebblecoat or Suretex, among others
• To compound the effect, textured paints were often used to cover other asbestos related materials, like insulation board
• Asbestos felt, which was sometimes used as a backing of vinyl and linoleum sheet flooring, or under floor tiles in the bathroom
• Insulation in heaters or stoves – if you’ve got an old stove kicking around the basement or garage, it’s best to get rid of it

The material is not considered hazardous as long as it’s intact. However, scratches, scrapes and any deterioration can result in the material becoming “friable”, meaning the asbestos can crumble and become airborne.  The danger to your health comes from inhaling asbestos fibres. Even where it’s intact and technically not a hazard, it represents a potential barrier to selling your home in an ever more environmentally conscious market.

Call the Asbestos Removal Experts
Be safe rather than sorry – if your home was built before the 1980`s, then assume that it may contain asbestos in a variety of locations and call in the experts from GreenStream Environmental Services for help before any renovations. Please DO NOT DISTURB OR HANDLE the material in question, or try to sweep/vacuum it away. There is no “safe” level of exposure.

At GreenStream Environmental Services, we offer certified asbestos removal services.  In the Toronto area contact GreenStreamEnvironmental.ca at (416) 818-9414.

Featured in Mike Holmes’ magazine, HGTV’s Income Properties, W Network’s Love It Or List It and chosen by Homestars.com as “Best Toronto Asbestos Removal Company” based on customer ratings and reviews, GreenStream Environmental Services are fully-certified, trusted and insured professionals in the removal and disposal of commercial, industrial, institutional and residential asbestos, vermiculite and mould (hazardous and non-hazardous) from homes, condominiums, apartment buildings and more.  Providing emergency service 24/7/365 for all of Toronto and the GTA (North York, Mississauga, Markham, Brampton, Scarborough, Ajax, Oshawa, and beyond) GreenStream has over 40 combined years of experience serving clients such as the City of Toronto, the Toronto District School Board and many more. For a free estimate in Toronto, the GTA and Southern Ontario, call today at 416-818-9414.  You’ll be glad you did.