Asbestos And Renovation Projects

Just west of the GTA, a public renovation project is a reminder that when you’re dealing with older buildings, you need to take asbestos into account from the beginning.

Like many homes throughout Toronto and Southern Ontario, the Dundas Museum & Archives in Hamilton, Ontario is an older structure. The 80 year-old building will be closed for about six weeks during the summer for renovations that include extensive asbestos removal as well as other infrastructure work.

A major renovation project already took place on the building about five years ago, but somehow, asbestos removal wasn’t first on the list of priorities. We’re assuming that any asbestos or asbestos containing materials (ACM) in the building were contained and/or intact. As such, they were considered safe, or not producing inhalable (friable) dust.

Asbestos and Renovations
The asbestos in the Dundas Museum is located in floor tiles. That’s a very common place to find them in an older home. Asbestos was mixed with vinyl, linoleum, concrete, and other substances that are used throughout homes and other buildings, literally from floor to ceiling.

What you need to know:

Anything that disturbs existing material may damage ACM and cause asbestos dust which can be inhaled. That includes,

• Replacing floor tiles – many older DIY tiles jobs just laid new layers on top of old.
• You don’t know what you’ll uncover;
• Replacing roofing or siding materials;
• Repairing or replacing a popcorn ceiling;
• Replacing textured paints;
• Replacing acoustic ceiling tiles;
• Adding a home theatre or security system;
• And much more.

If your home was built before the mid-1980s, there’s a good chance it contains asbestos in some form. Regular maintenance and inspection will help ensure that any existing material is intact, but when you begin to see deterioration, or when you renovate, you will need to budget enough money and time to include asbestos removal in your plans.

• Remember: If you hire a contractor to work on your home, you are also liable for any of their asbestos exposure.

We Can Help
If you have asbestos in your home, we can help. Our experienced and certified asbestos removal and asbestos remediation technicians can help keep you and your family safe. In the Toronto area call Environmental at (416) 818-9414. Contact us for a quote today.

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.