Asbestos is a mineral composed of tightly packed fibers. For a century, asbestos was the important element of the building industry. Due to its heat-resistance property, it was a widely used product in flooring, ductwork, and insulation.

Asbestos poses no risks until it is disturbed. But when its fibers become loose and airborne, it started to cause serious health risks. It causes chronic lung disease known as asbestosis if inhaled. Asbestos can also cause mesothelioma and other cancers.

So, there is an urgent need for asbestos testing in your home. However, calling an asbestos testing company is an expensive deal.

You can, therefore, use some of the best ways listed in this article for asbestos testing.

The Best Ways to Test for Asbestos

1. Look where you can find asbestos in your house.

Some of the places and products where you can find asbestos are;

• Vinyl flooring
• Floor tiles, composites, and textiles
• Wallboard joint compound
• Guttering
• Water pipes and cisterns
• Ceiling or floor captivity
• Cement products found in garage roofs, partitions, and soffits

2. Check for the signs of asbestos materials

You can’t detect asbestos just by looking at it.  Instead, inspect the warning signs that construction materials are deteriorating. Asbestos is not risky if it is in good condition, but once it started to break down and its fibers are released in the air, then it becomes toxic and causes serious health hazards.

Insulation, walls, disintegrating pipes, flooring, and various other old materials that are in use since their construction are prone to asbestos.

Also, you can check out for the cracks, dusty areas, and spots where there are chances of materials breaking down.

3. Preparing for misting

Safeguard yourself with a face mask and gloves. Do not clean the suspected area before asbestos testing. Turn off the ventilation, cooling, and heating appliances before taking the sample of asbestos. This is because; the asbestos particles can also spread through the air and thus can be risky.

Now spread a plastic sheet on the floor. Spray the suspected area continuously. The moisture in the air ensures that there are no dust particles in the air, and it begins to settle in the sheet.

4. Get the sample and put it in a bag

Cut the small piece of the plastic sheet. This is your asbestos testing sample. Keep this sample in a plastic bag; label your ID number and time of collecting the sample of the bag.

5. Send the sample to the government authorities

Send the asbestos testing sample to the EPA accredited laboratory. Stay away from the suspected areas until you have the results. If the result comes positive, take actionable steps for the removal of asbestos.

Find an EPA certified contractor for asbestos removal in your home. Do not try to do asbestos removal by yourself, it is treated as an illegal activity in many countries, and you may be heavily fined if you do so.

Asbestos removal requires a special contractor’s license. It is essential if a person works more than an hour or the total time spent by all the workers exceeds 2 hours. This time includes setting up time, cleaning, and clearing up time.

Asbestos is still present in many buildings. It is a very dangerous material for one’s health.  So, it should be tested and removed immediately.