Uncategorized
Asbestos In Flooring
City hall in St. Catharines, a small city in the Niagara peninsula just southwest of the GTA, is renovating, and dealing with a common issue in older buildings: asbestos in flooring. Here’s the situation: Glue underneath laminate flooring had deteriorated, causing the tiles to bubble up. The floor tiles contain asbestos, which is now crumbling…
Read MoreAsbestos In Concrete Pipes
When asbestos was king of construction materials, you might find it in any one of more than 3,000 products from floor to ceiling. Most of the time, asbestos was mixed with other materials to create ACM (asbestos containing materials). Water SystemsAsbestos and ACM, however, weren’t only used in residential and commercial construction. It was also…
Read MoreAsbestos Organization Hopes To Raise Awareness
The Canadian Mesothelioma Foundation (CMF) recently released a statement. “Asbestos-related diseases are by far the number one cause of death in the workplace. Mesothelioma is almost exclusively linked to exposure to asbestos. Yet many of us have never heard of it.” It’s a situation that the organization would like to change. Many cases of asbestos…
Read MoreWorkSafeBC Takes The Lead In Asbestos Awareness
We seem to be hearing from WorkSafeBC regularly when it comes to asbestos awareness campaigns in the workplace. This time, the provincial organization is targeting homeowners who are planning on renovations or demolitions of older homes — and the advice is worth taking note of no matter where you live. The message: notify your contractor.…
Read MoreVermiculite Insulation & Asbestos: A Quick Guide
The feverish real estate market in Toronto and the GTA means that sellers aren’t as interested in fixing up the old homestead before they put it on the market. As a buyer, it means that you might well be looking at old problems that should have been dealt with years ago – like vermiculite insulation.…
Read More17K Realtor Listings Boast: No Popcorn Ceilings!
Here’s something you didn’t see years ago: realtor listings that make a point of mentioning ‘No Popcorn Ceilings!’ They’re outdated, they’re unsightly – and they might just pose an asbestos risk. A recent tally on Realtor.com counted over 17,000 listings that touted ‘No popcorn ceilings!’ Once a fad, now a pariah, if you watch those…
Read MoreAsbestos and Plumbing Repairs
If you own a home that was built before the early 1980s, you are probably aware that it may contain asbestos in various forms. Perhaps you have had floor or ceiling tiles replaced, or the attic insulation. But, there’s an area of your home that you may not consider when you’re thinking about asbestos risk…
Read MoreWinter Weather, Ice Dams – And Mould In Your Home
Since mould occurs wherever there is moisture, you may be under the impression that the freezing cold temperatures of winter mean you can relax about at least one common household hazard. Unfortunately, your optimism would be misplaced. Freeze/Thaw/Freeze This winter, Toronto and the GTA has seen its fair share of nasty weather, including mounds of…
Read MoreAsbestos 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.…
Read MoreOld Home? – An Asbestos Horror Story
Just before the end of 2018, a homeowner in Winnipeg got a nasty surprise for the holidays – asbestos in the walls. It was a water leak in an upstairs bathroom that led to a cascading series of woes. Unfortunately, the leak on a connector to the toilet tank began overnight, and by morning, had flooded the entire…
Read More