You may be planning to remodel an older home, or you may be buying one, but for your family’s safety, you want to make sure to include an asbestos inspection of the house in your purchase and sales agreement. The county or city building departments where you live may refuse to provide a permit before you are allowed to perform any remodeling work. They will likely require that you have an asbestos survey and test conducted to ensure that any ACM is not disturbed during construction without proper procedures in place to prevent them from becoming airborne. Your local department will also likely require that an AHERA inspector who can safely collect samples and determine the presence of ACM—asbestos-containing material—and will want them to produce a full report with a certificate. Asbestos’s existence is unknown by looking at the suspected building material; a laboratory must examine the alleged material using a PLM microscope.
How to test for asbestos?
Asbestos in building materials begins by collecting and examining small samples from 1 cubic inch to 3 square inches, depending on the material sampled. The EPA recommends the number of samples collected per building material. When you are ready to get asbestos testing performed for your home or business, you could manage the pieces yourself and send them to a lab. Still, it would be wise to contact a certified AHERA building inspection professional to conduct this survey to ensure your family’s health and safety. This individual should have the proper training, equipment, certification, and experience to collect samples safely and document the process. The inspector should also have a list of professional contacts who can perform the removal of ACM should there be any found during the inspection. Some companies perform both the assessment and removal, but it is considered a conflict of interest.
Types of asbestos testing
There are two common types of asbestos inspections: one is limited, and the other is a demolition asbestos inspection. The little check is performed only in areas where there will be remodelings, such as replacing vinyl flooring or tile; removing or opening a wall or ceiling. A demolition inspection involves the inspector(s) collecting samples of all ACMs: flooring-vinyl tile, sheeting, ceramic tile, walls, ceiling, sink undercoating, electrical wiring sheeting, mechanical systems insulation, roofing material, attic insulation, siding material, and window putty, to name a few. The inspector will bag, tag, photograph each sample collected, and complete a COC—a chain of custody form. Your AHERA inspector will also draw a map indicating where the samples were collected and return the pieces with the COC to an asbestos testing lab for evaluation. The results can take anywhere from 24 hours to two weeks to return to you, depending on your choice.
How much does asbestos testing cost?
It takes anywhere from half an hour to three hours to complete an asbestos inspection of a home, with the latter being a demolition inspection. Asbestos testing prices range between $250 and $750, with an average of about $500, which includes a full report with an AHERA certificate. If you plan on collecting the asbestos-containing material to save some money, make sure to wear PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) for protection from the harmful asbestos fibers. You should wear a respirator, latex gloves, and protective clothing. Once you have your samples collected, you can send them to an asbestos testing lab for analysis under PLM—Polarized Light Microscopy. The lab will then send you the results by email or a physical copy of the report if you wish.
If you are looking for a local AHERA inspector near you or an asbestos testing lab, conduct an online search, or contact your local building department. Good luck with your purchase or project.
Where can I send a sample for asbestos testing?
Mail-in samples to the following address *at Tabor 100 co-working offices:
5 Microns Inc.
7100 Fort Dent Way #100
Tukwila, WA 98188
IMPORTANT-MUST READ FIRST: All mail-in samples must have a tracking number and include our asbestos chain of custody form to be processed. If the chain of custody form is missing, your sample(s) will not be accepted and processed. Drop-offs MUST have the COC form inside your package but not in the sample bag. DO NOT MAIL YOUR SAMPLES BY FIRST CLASS MAIL. Send your sample(s) via USPS Priority Mail, UPS, and FedEx. It is essential to closely follow these directions so our asbestos testing lab can promptly process your sample(s).
*PLEASE NOTE FOR ALL DROP-OFFS: All samples must be dropped off at the back of the office building located at 7100 Fort Dent Way Tukwila WA outside the Tabor 100 Office and placed inside the black drop-box pictured below. Do not take your samples to the front desk. The front desk will not accept drop-offs over the counter, NO EXCEPTIONS
5 Microns Inc. Sample Drop Box
