Month: December 2020

Is Asbestos Exposure Still a Risk in Arlington, VA?

Asbestos was once widely used for building materials in homes and other buildings in Arlington, VA. Asbestos was used in the manufacturing of insulation and used in steam engines, piping, and locomotives. Later, asbestos was used in products such as gaskets, boilers, cement, roofing materials, and automotive brake pads. Asbestos exposure is extremely dangerous. People still die from asbestos exposure. Exposure can lead to mesothelioma. Mesothelioma commercials are shown on TV even today.

The use of asbestos was phased out during the 1980s. However, some products still carry traces of asbestos. Most asbestos exposure now comes from homeowners or business owners who renovate or demolish an old home or building. Many homeowners in Arlington, VA still have asbestos–containing materials in their home that they might not even be aware of, such as popcorn ceilings, floor and ceiling tiles, drywall, roofing sealant, duct tape, furnace cement, and glue for flooring.

Depending on your home’s age in Arlington, VA, it could still contain asbestos–related materials if built prior to 1980. Hence, it would help if you were extremely careful not to disturb any of these materials or never tear them out, hammer, cut, nail into any of these materials. If you know for sure which materials contain asbestos, that is half the battle, but so many people do not realize or know what to look for. It takes a professional to know what to look for and determine if it’s asbestos.

Before doing any repairs or renovations to an older home in Arlington, VA, be sure and call the experts at Envirotex Environmental Services for asbestos testing and remediation.  These professionals have the personal protective equipment to be able to enter a home and safely remove any asbestos–containing materials you have in your Arlington, VA home.

Never attempt to remove asbestos products from your home on your own. Always leave it up to the professionals who know exactly how to contain the asbestos–related area to avoid the asbestos dust from spreading all through your Arlington, VA home. When you use professionals such as Envirotex, you protect family members from breathing in any of the dust from the asbestos fibers and taking a chance of them developing health issues from asbestos exposure.

The Mold Inspection Process for Homes in Gainesville, VA

As a homeowner in Gainesville, VA, you want your family safe. If you are noticing moldy smells or actually seeing mold in certain areas of your home, it is time for you to get a mold inspection. Mold growth is something you don’t want to ignore because it will continue to grow and spread throughout your Gainesville, VA home if not properly taken care of.

A mold inspection at your home in Gainesville, VA will involve taking air samples and surface samples. Air samples can be done in various ways, the most common being a method using “spore trap samples.” This method involves setting up a spore trap sampling device where a volume of air pass impacts a sticky surface as it passes through the device.

Particles in the air impact the sticky surface and adhere to it, and then the trap is sent to a third–party mold testing lab for analysis. The laboratory opens the spore traps and applies stains to the sticky surface the mold spores absorb and then identifies the types of mold spores captured from your home in Gainesville, VA, during the mold sampling process.

A mold inspection may also include surface sampling, including—

Bulk samples—This is when a portion of the sampled area is physically removed by the inspector handling the mold inspection at your home in Gainesville, VA  and sent to a third–party testing laboratory for analysis.

Swab samples—During the mold inspection, similar to a cotton swab, a swab is rubbed across an area to be sampled and sent to a third–party mold testing laboratory.

Tape samples—A clear piece of tape is pressed against and removed from the area being sampled, which picks up and removes some of the mold present on the surface, and again this is sent off to a mold testing lab for analysis.

Your mold inspection should include recommendations on how to rid any future mold growth in your Gainesville, VA home. If the moisture source causing the mold growth is not repaired, removing the mold is just a temporary fix. Both need to be done by a professional mold company such as Envirotex Environmental Services.

What to Expect During Asbestos Removal in Arlington, VA

Even though most asbestos has been illegal for 40 years, it still lingers at homes in Arlington, VA. Homes built before the 1980s may contain building materials that still contain asbestos, commonly found in flooring, insulation, fireproofing, roofing materials, wall and ceiling materials, and adhesives.

Before any remodeling, asbestos removal of these materials is extremely important so that your family is not in danger. Breathing in asbestos fibers from damaged or the destruction of asbestos-containing materials can be extremely dangerous to your family in Arlington, VA.

Once a professional asbestos inspector has established asbestos, asbestos removal should be set up as soon as possible to rid your Arlington, VA home of all asbestos-related materials. Asbestos removal is not always necessary if the asbestos is not disturbed and still intact. It can often be kept in place with minimal risk of exposure.

During any asbestos removal, the area where the asbestos is located will need to be sealed off with thick sheets of plastic along with air pressure differential and filtration. Air ducts must also be sealed and your HVAC system disabled.

During the asbestos removal, the environmental contractors must wear protective clothing and respirators to protect themselves against handling the asbestos. Any materials removed will be placed into waste disposal bags and sealed and then removed from the Arlington, VA property and taken to be properly disposed of.

Special vacuums with HEPA filtration intended for asbestos removal will be used to minimize dispersing asbestos fibers during the removal and cleaning of surfaces.

Once all the asbestos-containing building materials have been removed or repaired depending on the circumstances, all work surfaces have been thoroughly cleaned with wet methods, and HEPA vacuuming, Arlington, VA homeowners should have an independent inspection to check to see if the work was done properly.

Homeowners should receive a report of work performed, permits, and all licensing, along with copies of the inspection and any laboratory analysis for their home in Arlington, VA.

For all your environmental needs, including asbestos removal, call the Envirotex team.