Asbestos Testing at the #1920sMakeoverATL Deep Energy Retrofit Project

In collaboration with Green Builder Matt Hoots of Sawhorse, Inc., Derek Williams of Bruce Environmental reminds us that asbestos is a serious safety hazard and concern for both workers on site and the eventual homeowners.  Asbestos fiber gets into the air and can cause lung damage, cancer and mesothelioma. Asbestos is not dangerous in a stable state.  But major demolition and construction kicks a lot of dust particles into the air, making the particles friable, which means that the particles are disturbed and released into the air and can be inhaled.  Asbestos fiber gets into the air and can cause lung damage, cancer and mesothelioma. Demolition is in fact a time of high risk for asbestos challenges. 

 

Derek walks us through typical materials that might have asbestos, including joint compound found in HVAC tape in older homes, older style vinyl flooring could have asbestos in the mastic, older ceiling tiles, particularly the mastic on the tracks for ceiling tiles.  

 

Good news: All of the samples came back negative!  Demolition can now proceed safely in those areas, its no fear of stirring up asbestos