Safe Asbestos Removal in Victoria
Asbestos is a natural, fibrous material that was formerly used in many common materials like ceiling tiles and insulation. Years later, it was realized that when exposed to for lengths of time or breathed in, asbestos is hazardous to your health. If your home or building was constructed before the 1990s, there is a good chance something in your Victoria home contains asbestos. Removal is recommended but not always necessary as asbestos probably won’t pose any threats to you or your family if left undisturbed. Though if you’re planning on remodelling your home or demolishing a building in the future, it is highly recommended to have asbestos removal done at your Victoria home or commercial building. H.L. Demolition & Waste Management Ltd has the skill and experience to safely remove any asbestos in your home or building.
Materials Containing Asbestos
Asbestos fibres were widely used in construction and other materials because of their flame resistance, durability and strength. As such, asbestos was used in various products, including:
Building insulation
Cement and plaster
Furnaces and boilers
Fireplaces
Plumbing
Floor and ceiling tiles
Home siding and roofing
Windows and doors
Vehicle brake pads and clutches
How to Identify Asbestos
The only way to know for sure if an object in your home contains asbestos is to have a professional test it, but there are several indicators that will help you find objects that are highly likely to contain asbestos.
- Date of construction – While use of asbestos was banned in the 1990s, building materials may have been stockpiled. If your home was built into the mid-1990s there’s still a chance of asbestos in your home.
- Materials used – Cement commonly contained asbestos, but timber, brick and steel didn’t. If your home is made of a safe material, chances are there is little or no asbestos in your home.
- Inspection – You can perform a walkthrough inspection of all rooms including ceilings, cellars and storage areas. If you come across materials that you cannot identify or cannot easily access, you should call a professional for an inspection to determine if it has asbestos.
Asbestos Removal Procedures for Victoria
It is our top priority to maintain the safety of our workers and those who live or work in any building during asbestos removal in Victoria, Nanaimo or surrounding areas, and so we make sure that we follow certain safety procedures. We pre-plan every job by establishing work procedures and ensuring workers are adequately trained before they even step on-site. Then we prepare the site with barriers and warning signs to notify the public. Our work procedures for wet removal of asbestos include:
Safe removal – We perform localized wetting of contaminated areas to minimize fibre release, removing all visible dust on work surfaces and using plastic drop sheets where necessary.
Decontamination – We clean up dust waste with vacuums fitted with HEPA filters and damp mopping. Before leaving, we also wet our drop sheets and fold them on themselves to avoid release of fibres.
Disposal – Asbestos wastes, including disposable coverall clothing our workers wear, is placed in sealable, labelled containers. The exterior surfaces are cleaned and we remove the containers from the work area.
Air monitoring – Using certain tools, we monitor the air to determine exposure levels during and after abatement activities.
Site inspection – After all work has been completed, we visually inspect the area to ensure all visible asbestos-containing materials and debris has been properly cleaned up.
Our team always uses safe removal equipment such as vacuums with HEPA filters and thick drop sheets, as well as disposable coverall clothing and face masks to prevent exposure and inhalation when performing asbestos removal in your Victoria home or business.
Contact Us for Asbestos Removal in Victoria
When it’s time to remodel your old home or demolish a building to make room for a construction project, you need to be sure there’s no asbestos that can become airborne. H.L. Demolition & Waste Management Ltd provides safe asbestos removal in Victoria for homes and businesses. Contact us today to schedule an inspection appointment or to learn more about the process.
Service Area
All of British Columbia
Vancouver Island
The Gulf Islands
Parts of Alberta