How Do I Clean My House After Asbestos Exposure?

If you find asbestos in your house or commercial space, you need to have it removed, and the space thoroughly cleaned. Although asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral, it is a known carcinogen that causes mesothelioma and other types of cancers. Learning that your home has asbestos can become an expensive undertaking, as you really should hire a pro to handle its removal, and the clean-up..  

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a natural mineral that was used extensively because of its resistance to heat, electricity, and corrosion. Until it was discovered that it causes cancer, asbestos was an excellent building material that was widespread in both homes and commercial spaces. 

The first link between asbestos and cancer was made in 1935, but it took over 40 years before asbestos production and implementation declined. Many construction companies ceased using it altogether, but there was still a glaring problem—what about homes and other spaces where asbestos had already been installed? Many companies that were familiar with the mineral flipped the script and changed their businesses from asbestos installation to asbestos removal.

How Do You Know If There is Asbestos in Your Home?

There are a few ways to check if your home has asbestos, but the easiest way is to get your house checked by a pro. It’s commonly found in walls, wrapped around pipes and ducts, any old appliances, floors, and in some older furnaces. 

According to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, asbestos isn’t dangerous unless it’s disturbed, which is when it releases dangerous fibers into the air. These fibers enter and build up in your lungs which, over time, causes cancer. The danger is, you don’t know when it’s been disturbed. Even something like a furnace kicking on can aggravate old asbestos and release fibers into the air.

Unfortunately, you can’t necessarily determine whether something contains asbestos from sight alone. If there is a label, great! But because asbestos stopped being installed regularly decades ago, it’s usually at an age (in your home) where it can look like many other materials. Without knowing for sure, you should hire a pro and get it checked. 

Cleaning Your House After Asbestos Removal

Asbestos removal is tricky because the fibers float through the air. Professionals remove asbestos with specialized vacuums and other tools. It’s strongly recommended that due to safety reasons and the dangers of asbestos, you hire a professional to remove asbestos.

However, there are some instances where you may remove asbestos yourself. There are ways you can manage asbestos without tearing it out of your house. If you go the DIY route, and decide to sell your property, you will need to disclose to potential homebuyers that the home has asbestos. It really is just better to hire a local asbestos removal professional and of course, wear proper protective equipment at all times.

Repairing 

You may not need to remove the asbestos entirely. There are a couple of ways that a professional can handle asbestos safely (without removing it), including:

• Sealing it with a sealant that prevents the fibers from being released. 

• Covering it with protective materials that prevent the fibers from spreading.

Repair work should only be done by a professional because the asbestos can easily be disturbed during either sealing or covering. Repair methods are often cheaper than removal, but you may have to do them more than once, and there may be issues if you decide to sell later on. 

Removal

Removing asbestos, while more expensive than repair, is often the route most people choose to go, and is also what most professionals recommend. Expect to pay between $1,192 and $3,241. The process for asbestos removal is similar to that of insulation removal, but with a few extra steps to ensure safety.

Removal involves the use of personal protective equipment. Professionals will:

• Lay down plastic sheeting throughout the work area. 

• Carefully place all removed asbestos into double bags, which are immediately sealed and labeled. 

• Vacuum with a High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) rated vacuum. 

• Remove the plastic sheeting. This is also double-bagged and sealed.