Asbestos is one of the most dangerous left-overs from a previous era. While it is supposed to be replaced when it is detected there are some homes that have managed to avoid inspections just as some homes were grandfathered past the law. Thus, asbestos can still be found in a lot of homes but it is disappearing. While it can be expensive, asbestos removal does make the home a lot healthier; as asbestos can cause a number of different breathing problems, eliminating it can only save on money in the long run.
How to Detect Asbestos
Asbestos can be reasonably easily detected. An inspector takes an air sample of the home from various locations, including wall spaces. The samples are then sent to a lab that tests the air samples and returns a verdict. While there are home testers they are notoriously unreliable. Detecting for it should be part of any home inspection until you are sure that the home is asbestos-free, especially if it has never been sold before. Renters should at least ask for a history of any home inspections if for no other reason than to make sure the home is healthy. It is nonetheless part of renting or owning a home.
How to Remove Asbestos
Asbestos removal can be an expensive process, however. Once the asbestos has been detected the owner should make sure that as much is removed from the home as possible, especially if it is on a wall. The crew will attack the walls in order to extract the asbestos from them. After the majority of the asbestos is extracted the section has to be vacuumed in order make sure there is no asbestos dust. The walls are restored, and then the house is vacuumed. Some companies will also scrub the house down and filter the air in order to make sure that all of the asbestos is gone.
After Effects of Asbestos Removal
Interestingly enough there is some debate when it comes to asbestos removal as regards to whether or not the asbestos removal affects the historical value of the home. As noted most of the remaining asbestos is in older homes, most of which are beginning to become eligible for historical preservation status if they have not already. In order to properly be considered of historical value a home needs to have a certain amount of the original home remaining, and that includes the original materials; with the label, some homes are worth more. Usually, allowances are made for asbestos removal due to its health hazards.
All of this means that asbestos removal is something that needs to be done, especially for families and those sensitive to allergens. The process is ongoing, and there are likely to be some hold-outs due to the debate over historical preservation, but in general, most people tend to remove the asbestos whenever it makes its presence known. Asbestos is definitely an issue that needs to be debated when buying an older house, but in general, it is something that has been eliminated from most houses, making them far safer than they used to be.