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Thinking of Doing Your Own Demolition?
We get asked all of the time if our clients can do their own demolition to save some $$$ and to get rid of some frustrations. Our usual answer here is “YES!”, however, we do have some precautionary words of wisdom before starting.
Safety of our client is the #1 thing during a renovation and it starts Day 1. The first things we point out are areas that asbestos could be hiding in the home. There are many areas in homes built from 1950-1990 that used it in very common materials because of its strong fibres and resistance to fire.
Why The Dramatics?
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral composed of flexible fibers that are resistant to heat, electricity and corrosion. These qualities make the mineral useful, but they also make it highly toxic. Asbestos was widely used in construction as an effective insulator, and it can be added to cloth, paper, cement, plastic and other materials to make them stronger.
When asbestos is disrupted during demolition, these tiny fibres are released into the air. If inhaled, can cause life-threatening lung diseases such as cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma.
What Materials Contain Asbestos?
Before 1990s, asbestos was used in over 3,000 different manufactured products. Out of these, 70 per cent by tonnage were construction materials. If it isn’t made of wood, glass or metal, it likely contains asbestos. Common building materials that contain asbestos include:
Watch this video to find out where asbestos could be hiding and how to protect yourself.
So as much as we love to work collaboratively with our clients and allow them to take on tasks during demolition, we always caution them to contact us first so we can line up our testing and abatement team!
Tests results range from 2-5 days and will save you and your loved ones potential health risks in the future.
Take good care!
– Collab Team
Sources:
https://www.worksafesask.ca/
https://www.asbestos.com/
