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How to Test your Home for Asbestos

CraigBrown | May 18, 2010 |

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Many homes that were built during the 1970's and 80's contain building materials made with asbestos. Asbestos was often used in roofing and insulation materials, pipe wrapping and floor or wall tile. It was a popular material because it added strength, insulation qualities and fire resistance to a building; however, at the time, the potential health hazards related to asbestos exposure were unknown. Now we know better and if these materials are present in your home they can pose a significant health risk.

The risk is greatest if you are planning on remodeling and removing these materials; it is crucial that all asbestos materials are handled and removed by trained professionals. Asbestos is not something to be taken lightly; you can't just handle it like a piece of copper sculptures, furniture or contemporary metal wall art.

Before disturbing or removing any questionable materials in your home, you should first test for asbestos.

Professional vs. Home Testing Kits

There are companies that will test your home for a fee; however you may wish to consider testing for asbestos yourself. A kit is not only less expensive in most cases, it can help you avoid unnecessary red tape. If you test properly with a kit and the test is negative, that's the end of the asbestos issue for you. If you bring in professionals, this may alert local authorities who insist on further expensive testing, fines, fees, permits, etc. For this reason, you can opt to do the test yourself and bring in the professionals only if the results are positive.

How to Choose and Use a Test Kit

Do some research on kits that are available to compare their features and prices. One thing that can vary among kits is the application of lab fees. Some kits will include these fees in the price and in some cases, there is an extra charge. Usually, there will be a limit on the number of samples that may be submitted for testing. Typically, you will pay for the kit and then be charged and additional fee of $15.00 to $20.00 for sample testing.

The typical kit includes protective eye and nose gear, as well as gloves and sample bags for the collected material. Read all instructions carefully to insure that you are collecting an adequate sample and that you are using the kit components in a safe and thorough manner. Securely seal the sample and submit it as instructed, being sure to label the bag properly; fill out all related forms legibly and completely. If the test does come back as positive, do not attempt to remove the asbestos yourself, but call in licensed asbestos removal team.

Testing Without a Kit

Before deciding on a kit, you may want to check on the cost of testing without a kit. An online search will give you a list of US government accredited asbestos testing labs that test submitted samples collected without a kit. However, in most cases the cost will be higher for an individual - $20 to $40 – versus the usual $6 to $10 charge for industrial customers. Overall, the convenience of collecting and submitting with a kit may be worth the slight difference in total cost.