WHY Should I Get An Asbestos Inspection in Georgia?
That’s a great question. First, it’s required by law. Second, it’s just a smart thing to do.
Asbestos is a serious threat to our health. It’s truly not just a bunch of hype and regulation. Around 15,000 deaths each year are attributed to asbestos related diseases. While long term exposure puts a person at higher risk, studies have shown that there is no “safe threshold” of exposure.
Asbestos fibers pose a threat when they are inhaled. To be inhaled, the material must be pulverized and turned to dust. That’s exactly what happens during demolition and renovation when you take a sledgehammer and crowbar to building materials. Properly handling asbestos is essential to keeping both the workforce and building occupants safe.
What Happens If Asbestos Is Found?
Finding asbestos in your project is an entirely manageable situation. Buildings that contain asbestos are safely renovated every day. It just takes a little more time and a little more money. If you have found asbestos in your project, start by calling a licensed asbestos contractor to discuss your next steps.
What Will The Inspector Check For?
Your asbestos inspector will start by discussing the project with you and determining the extent of demolition or renovation. From that conversation, they will identify any material that may be disturbed during the renovation that is suspected to contain asbestos.
Asbestos Inspection – Suspect Materials
Suspect materials include things like: joint compound, plaster, ceiling texture, vinyl flooring, window glaze, cement siding, pipe insulation, felt duct tape and more. Basically, if it is not wood, glass, metal, or ceramic, we have to presume it contains asbestos until a negative test shows otherwise.
After identifying all the suspect materials, your inspector will collect samples to be analyzed by the laboratory.
How Long Will It Take To Get Results?
After collecting samples, they will be sent to an accredited laboratory for analysis. These laboratory results are interpreted by the inspector. The inspector prepares a report that tells you what materials do or do not contain asbestos. This process generally takes about a 3 – 5 days. Results can be expedited as necessary.
What Will My Inspection Report Tell Me?
Your asbestos inspection report will show you all the areas of material that were found to contain asbestos. Any material that contains more than 1% asbestos fibers is then considered a Regulated Asbestos Containing Material.
It is important to note that the samples collected are only representative of the larger area. For example, your inspector may have collected joint compound samples from the living room & kitchen, but not the dining room. That does not mean that the dining room is negative. It just means that the inspector used samples from other areas to represent the larger space.
What Happens If Asbestos Is Found?
Finding asbestos in your project is an entirely manageable situation. Buildings that contain asbestos are safely renovated every day. It just takes a little more time and a little more money.