• What is asbestos?
• The dangers of asbestos
• Collecting a sample
• Where can I send a sample for asbestos testing?
• Mail-in asbestos testing
• Asbestos testing lab
• Asbestos testing lab near me
• Asbestos testing cost
• Asbestos in the home–where the danger is most likely to lurk
• Asbestos testing near me

• Insulation
• Floor tiles
• Cement
• Ceiling tiles
• Paint
• Siding
• Shingles
• Adhesives
• Electrical wire casings

Asbestos is dangerous to humans because products made with this substance easily break down into microscopic fibers that become airborne for days and readily cling to clothing. When a person inhales deadly asbestos fibers, they quickly travel deep into the lungs where they lodge into delicate lung tissues. After a period of time, asbestos causes serious diseases that include mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer.

If you suspect you have asbestos in your home, office, or commercial building, you need to address the issue without delay. Fortunately, 5 Microns Inc. offers a hassle-free way for you to test any material in your home for asbestos.

Simply mail us a sample of the material in question, and our renowned asbestos testing lab will quickly ascertain whether you and your family are at risk. For detailed instructions on how to send our asbestos testing lab a sample, see below, and if you have any questions, contact our lab at (425)440-8787 in Seattle, WA. Results can be provided to you in under 24 hours by calling or contacting us.

What is asbestos?

One of the most common questions we hear at our asbestos testing lab is, “What exactly is asbestos?”

One of the most common questions we hear at our asbestos testing lab is, “What exactly is asbestos?”

Asbestos is found naturally all over the world. Today, the main exporters of asbestos include Russia and China but only a few short decades ago it was mined throughout Canada and the United States. Interestingly, 55 countries have banned the use of asbestos in manufacturing but it’s still legal in the U.S. and Canada. This means that you can find asbestos just about anywhere. If you suspect you have asbestos in your home, it makes sense to send a material sample to our asbestos testing lab and find out whether your suspicions are correct.

The dangers of asbestos

All six varieties of asbestos are dangerous if breathed into the human body. Scientists and doctors recommend avoiding exposure to asbestos but this is difficult because there is no way to know if you’re breathing it into your body. Asbestos does not make you sneeze or cough and it doesn’t make your throat dry or your skin itch.

When materials containing asbestos are disturbed, the fibers become airborne and cling to clothing. You cannot see asbestos fibers, so if they fall onto your clothing they can be tracked just about anywhere. There are stories of workers exposed to asbestos who carried fibers back to their homes on their clothing unaware that they were exposing their children to its inherent dangers. 

When you send a sample into our asbestos testing lab, we help you make sure that your home or commercial structure is safe. If you find out that asbestos is present, we can help direct you to a contractor that can safely dispose of the asbestos without risk to you or your family.

Asbestos exposure can lead to multiple health problems. Mesothelioma is a variety of cancer almost solely related to asbestos exposure. Other deadly diseases caused by asbestos exposure include lung cancer, laryngeal cancer, ovarian cancer, pleuritis, COPD, and asbestosis.

If you live or work in an environment where asbestos has been released into the air, you are at risk of breathing in its microscopic fibers. Various factors related to exposure determine your overall risk including your age, overall health, and how long you’re exposed to the fibers.

However, no amount of asbestos exposure is considered safe. Even small amounts of asbestos can lead to mesothelioma, and the more you breathe in, the more likely you are to get a disease. This is a good reason to send your samples into our asbestos testing lab without delay, especially when considering that it can take from 10 to 40 years after asbestos exposure to start showing symptoms.

Considering most asbestos-related diseases are impossible to cure, it’s far better to prevent exposure than to worry about it for decades after you’ve been exposed. Send your material sample into our lab for asbestos testing today and sleep easy at night knowing that your environment is free from this deadly substance.

Collecting a sample and sending it to our asbestos testing lab

Follow these simple directions to collect a sample from your home.

• A sharp knife
• Spray bottle filled with water and two drops of detergent
• Latex gloves
• Spackle or silicone (to seal exposed area)
• 80-ounce jar or high-quality Ziplock® type bag
• Label and marker
• A Sharpie®

• Clear the area and make sure nobody else is around
• Turn off any ventilation system to prevent the spread of fibers
• Wear disposable latex gloves
• Spray the sample section with the soapy water to prevent the fibers from becoming airborne
• Carefully cut about 3 square inches of the suspected material
• Place in a container or clear plastic bag and then tightly close
• Label the bag or container with the date, time, and name of the material
• Seal or patch the sampled area with spackle or another type of sealant
• Download our chain of custody form and complete all the sections with an asterisk
• Place the chain of custody form with the package
• Mail us the package but DO NOT USE FIRST CLASS MAIL (see below)
• Wipe all tools used to collect samples

Where can I send a sample for asbestos testing?

5 Microns Inc.

7100 Fort Dent Way #100

Tukwila, WA 98188

Mail in asbestos testing

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).

Asbestos testing lab

*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!

Asbestos testing lab near me

looking for an asbestos testing lab near you? if you live in a big city there are probably a few labs that can test asbestos for you. However, even if one is not in your area, you can send them to 5 Microns Inc. We offer same-day results as an option. Follow the instructions on our COC form and send your samples to us.

Asbestos testing cost

We are offering the following sample sale. Only $26 per sample layer for up to 3 days TAT (turn-around time) from receipt. Kindly include a personal check with your sample(s). We also accept PayPal. You do not need a PayPal account to make your payment. After receiving payment, we will release your report.

If you would like your results in under 24 hours, call 425-440-8787, or email us to get a quote.

Asbestos in the home – where danger is most likely to lurk

It’s important to note that asbestos is still used in the United States. While it’s true asbestos is found in most homes built before 1980, construction materials in newer homes may also have various amounts of asbestos.

One example is sheetrock manufactured in China. Many home builders and contractors use Chinese sheetrock because it’s cheaper than other sheetrock made domestically, but these products are renowned for containing asbestos. Simply deciding to cut a hole in your wall could release asbestos particles into the air. The only way to be sure your sheetrock doesn’t have asbestos is to know the country of origin or have it analyzed in our asbestos testing lab.

Many homeowners believe that materials containing asbestos are more likely to be found in the attic or basement, but you’re more likely to find asbestos in common living spaces. Some examples include:

• Flooring – Vinyl flooring and tiles often contain asbestos. The glue used to adhere the flooring to the subfloor is called mastic and it frequently contains asbestos. If you rip off your old flooring to replace it, you need to know whether it contains asbestos.
  
  
• Walls – Sheetrock is mentioned above but many other wall coverings also contain asbestos. Wallpapers made from vinyl have been around since the 1920s, and they almost always contain asbestos.
  
  
• Ceilings – If your home has a textured ceiling or ceiling tiles, asbestos could very well be present. Many homes built during the mid to late 20th century have smaller ceiling tiles that are commonly associated with asbestos. If you move into any home with ceiling tiles, we highly recommend sending a sample into our asbestos testing lab.
  
  
• Paint – Because paint can be found on any surface, you should always be sure it doesn’t contain asbestos (or lead) before sanding the surface. As with many of the other materials listed above, it’s often best to encapsulate asbestos materials but simply painting over old paint may not work. If you’re in doubt, consult a professional.

If you’re planning on redecorating a room in your home or hiring a contractor to remodel, make sure you aren’t putting your family at risk. If you move into a new home, especially an older one, take steps to ensure the building materials are safe with help from our professional lab.

There is more valuable information on the internet outlining companies that still use asbestos in their building materials. If you can cross-reference the brand names on your ceiling tiles, vinyl flooring, and other materials with one of these lists, you may very well have a better idea about your overall risk. Still, there is no substitute for accuracy, which is where we come into the equation.

Sleep well at night knowing your home is safe by mailing a sample to our lab today. Quick turnaround times mean you can start your remodeling project on time without worrying about whether you’ll develop asbestos-related health problems ten years from now. If you have any questions, contact the asbestos testing experts at 5 Microns Inc. today.