Safe Way to Identify If Your Roof Contains Asbestos
When inhaled, asbestos can cause serious health problems such as cancer and lung diseases. People who live in old houses are at risk because a few decades ago, asbestos was one of the popular building materials. Roofing, pipes, insulation and other construction materials can have this.
Identifying asbestos
The problem with detecting asbestos in the roof, however, is that you cannot identify it just by looking. Also, most asbestos products are not harmful. According to roofing experts in Perth, airborne fibres are what make roofing materials with asbestos dangerous to health.
Determining the age of the house
The first step in detecting asbestos is determining the age of your house. As mentioned above, older buildings are more likely to have some asbestos building materials. Specifically, material used during the early 20s up to the late 80s can have this.
It was only considered a health risk in the late 80s when asbestos exposure was associated with certain types of cancers.
Asbestos can be whitish, greyish or whitish-blue in colour. When mixed with other materials, it can be impossible to detect. Roofing tiles that contain asbestos usually have the same grey, white or bluish-white colour.
Provide Samples for Inspection
Perth roofing experts like Actionasbestos.com.au says exposure to asbestos can lead to serious health risks. Keep your family safe from potential health hazards by knowing whether your roofing tiles contain asbestos. To do this, take a sample for laboratory inspection.
Just be very careful when taking a sample, as the dust can get into your lungs immediately upon inhalation. It is best to wear a mask and rubber gloves. Before cutting the tiles, spray them first with soapy water to keep fibres intact.
When the lab samples return a positive result, replace the tiles, but do so very carefully. Unless you have the proper skills, call professionals for asbestos removal instead.
