What to do if You Think Your House Has Asbestos

Asbestos is the term used for a number of minerals that can be dangerous to your health if they are inhaled or ingested.

One of the more severe risks of asbestos exposure is mesothelioma, a type of lung cancer.

Unfortunately, you won’t know right away if there is asbestos in your home.

Asbestos typically hides within the walls, in your HVAC system, or even in your flooring tiles. It was used on older homes, so if you have an older home, there is a significant risk of asbestos.

In fact, asbestos.com reports that during the 1950’s and 1970’s, Australia had the highest per-capita use of Asbestos in the world.

If you are concerned about it, here are some things you should do next.

Do Not Disturb the Area

It is absolutely essential that if you have any thoughts about there being asbestos in your home, you do not try to test it yourself or remove it. This alone can be toxic.

With asbestos, the safest thing to do is leave it alone and not disturb it, but call in a professional to remove the asbestos.

If remodeling needs to be done and you have an older home, it is always a good idea to contact asbestos professionals to get rid of traces of the minerals, or at least test the area to see if you have it. Even small renovations can cause the minerals to be released into the air, putting your family at risk of inhaling it.

Have the Areas Tested

The only way to know if you have asbestos is to have the risky areas tested. Contact a licensed asbestos control company to first come out and test the area, then have the company remove it if they come up with positive results. They will know all the common areas asbestos might be hiding in an older home, so they should be able to test all risky areas in your home.

See a Doctor if Needed

If you already started doing renovations on an area of your home where you think might have had asbestos, get to the doctor right away. Even if you are not yet showing symptoms like sneezing or coughing, it is a good idea to get checked out. Doctors should be able to determine whether or not there was exposure of asbestos and look at the current health of your lungs to ascertain what the risk was. If you feel sick during renovations, get to the doctor immediately, whether you think you have asbestos or not. You could have inhaled something that is hazardous to your health.

Asbestos is very dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. Follow these instructions if you think you have asbestos in your home.