Asbestos and Textured Paints

A recent multi-million dollar award granted to a long time interior painter by trade – and mesothelioma patient – highlights the dangers that may lurk on your walls and ceilings.

In the lawsuit, the court accepted that the victim’s attorneys had proven that his lung disease had been caused by working with asbestos-containing paints over his decades long career. As a union painter, he spent his entire career working on home under construction, skyscrapers and strip malls. It included exposure to asbestos containing paints such as:

• Textured paints
• Block fillers (paints formulated to fill cracks and irregularities in rough masonry and concrete
• Drywall compounds

Many of those paint products were banned in the late 1970’s, but before that period, the mesothelioma patient was exposed to these asbestos containing products on a daily basis. His case underscores the dangerous potential of textured paints and wall coverings that contain asbestos.

How Do You Know?
At one time, these textured paints and other asbestos containing products were widely used, including walls and ceilings even in children’s rooms. In older homes, it’s not uncommon to see several layers of paint on top of each other – and you don’t know what may lie underneath. Get expert help. The fact of the matter is that if your home was built before 1970,  you have to assume that it contains asbestos, and it may appear in a wide variety of places.

While asbestos containing materials may be considered “safe” while still intact, once they’ve deteriorated or are in a crumbling state, they can produce dangerous inhalable fibres. Before any renovation projects, call in the experts from GreenStream Environmental Services for an asbestos inspection. At GreenStream Environmental Services, we offer professional vermiculite and asbestos remediation services to help you contain and then rid yourself of this problem.

Certainly, if you’re planning on buying an older home, it should be an essential part of your pre-purchase checklist.

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). 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.