GTA Residents Get Christmas Present: Asbestos-Free Homes

Just west of Toronto and the GTA, some apartment dwellers got an early Christmas present: asbestos free apartments.

In October 2019, many residents of the CityHousing highrise in Hamilton, Ontario had to move out of their apartments and relocate – many of them elsewhere in the same building – after asbestos was discovered.

Where did they find asbestos? In the ceiling. A resident said it looked like “peeling paint”.

• Many of the apartments had water damaged ceilings.
• When the work began to replace the damage, asbestos was discovered.
• The apartments were emptied in October, with residents moving back in just before the holidays in December.
• Air quality tests ensure that there is no lingering problem.

Asbestos removal came as part of a multi-million dollar renovation package of the city housing apartment complex. The City says there may be hundreds more units with asbestos issues just waiting to present themselves.

Asbestos in the ceiling
Asbestos was once found in over 3,000 products and materials used in home and industrial construction, and it can appear in the ceiling in a couple of ways.

• Mixed with drywall and made into ceiling tiles – often called “acoustic tiles” because of asbestos’ noise cancelling properties;
• Mixed with plaster as the textured part of so-called “popcorn ceilings”.

Asbestos containing materials (ACM) are considered safe if they are intact. If your home was built before the mid-1980s, any flooding or other damage, renovation or installation work, which creates dust, can result in an asbestos hazard. The dust is inhaled, and causes many health issues in years to come.

Let us help
Let us help. If you have asbestos anywhere 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.

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.