Asbestos Lessons To Be Learned From Social Housing Woes West of GTA

A social housing situation just west of the GTA puts the spotlight on maintenance when it comes to avoiding problems with asbestos and other potential hazards in your home.

The Situation
Residents of a public housing development in Hamilton have to relocate for periods of weeks to months as the building undergoes asbestos removal procedures. It will affect hundreds of people.

The building was constructed in the 1970s, when asbestos was commonly used in a variety of areas in residential and industrial construction.

• Annual inspections found that leaky plumbing had caused the situation to occur on several floors of the building.
• The asbestos became a problem when water damage issues caused ceilings to peel.
• The building, like many of its era, featured popcorn – or textured – ceilings, where the texture was provided by none other than asbestos fibres.

The Work
Naturally, the project will be disruptive, but a city official quoted in a newspaper article said, “It’s a health and safety issue, not discretionary spending.” Air quality experts have gone through the building to determine asbestos levels for the safety of residents. Continuous monitoring will be crucial throughout the process.

• It’s a 10-story apartment building, and the work will be done on one floor at a time.
• Residents will be moved around to empty unit on other floors in the interim.
• Vents and negative air pressure flows will be sealed off to prevent asbestos fibres from spreading as the work is ocmpleted.

What About Your Home?
There are a few key take-aways from this situation, whether you live in an apartment or condo, or own your own home.

• Maintenance is key – asbestos and asbestos containing materials that are intact are not considered a risk.
• The risk comes from dust or inhalable fibres, which can be caused by water damage, along with wear and tear over the years.
• Great care must be taken in protecting you, your family, your neighbours, and even contractors working on your home from asbestos exposure.
• Regular maintenance and inspection of your home’s major structures can find potential problems before they become a widespread and disruptive issue.

We Can Help
If you have asbestos in your home, let us help with the next step: asbestos removal. 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.

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