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How do I know if I have asbestos tiles?

By October 8, 2021November 4th, 2021Asbestos

A new house you just bought has a beautifully finished basement with lots of room to make yourself comfortable. However, the flooring in the room is an orange vinyl tile that dates back to when the house was built back in 1972, not exactly your cup of tea, so you want to replace it with something modern and fresh. But you know that houses that were built in that era are very likely to contain asbestos, so how will you know that you have asbestos tiles?

How to test for asbestos

Whether you want to do the testing yourself—meaning that you will gather the samples—or hire a professional is up to you, your budget, and who will be replacing the flooring. Some of the more prominent and seasoned flooring companies will refuse to replace the current vinyl tile without a test performed by a professional. Doing the work yourself will save you some money, but you may get a false negative if you’re not doing the job correctly. When you hire a professional, you get their expertise, knowledge, and a list of related contractors they can connect you with should you need to remove asbestos as well as other trades to help get your project to finish.

An asbestos inspector will use professional tools, document their work, and supply you with a full report that includes certification. The consultant with wear personal protective equipment such as a half-face respirator, a Tyvek® suit, and latex gloves. Using a sharp knife or a chisel and hammer, he will take small pieces of about 3 square inches of the suspected material for examination. The professional will do his best to take the samples in inconspicuous places.

Asbestos testing lab

After the consultant completes the survey, they will need to take the samples to an asbestos testing lab for examination under PLM—Polarized Light Microscopy for study. The consultant may do the testing if they have the training or hand it off to a microscopist for the analysis. The results will indicate the presence, type, and percentage of asbestos.

Asbestos testing cost

The average cost for asbestos testing is $350 for a limited asbestos survey; this is if you hire a professional to survey flooring on a couple of rooms or take a few samples of popcorn texture. Those mentioned above would include a full report.

Asbestos testing near me

When you want to hire a professional, you can find one with a google search and through your local building department’s asbestos listing of certified asbestos consultants. There should be a list of competent experts near you.

Asbestos testing lab near me

Why not let 5 Microns Inc. assist you with asbestos testing. We offer asbestos testing lab services, as well as complete asbestos surveys. We have same-day service available. Our hours of operation in Monday to Friday from 8 am to 5 pm, and Saturday from 9 am to 3:30 pm.