A Look At What To Expect During Asbestos Inspection

A Look At What To Expect During Asbestos Inspection

13 March 2020
 Categories: Environmental, Blog


Asbestos has been linked to major health hazards to humans, so if you suspect there could be asbestos in your home, it's critical that you have a professional inspection. The asbestos inspection is a fairly straightforward thing, but you should know what to expect. Here is a look at some of the things you can expect for your home's inspection. 

Expect the asbestos inspection to take place only when you are home. 

Many people are busy, and it can be hard to schedule the visit from the inspector at a time when you are home. However, it is imperative that you are present when the test takes place. The professional will need guidance to get through the home and may need your assistance to access certain things. 

Expect the inspection to take a while. 

The full inspection for asbestos can take quite some time to complete. The professional will be moving throughout your home and taking samples from multiple places. The act of taking a sample from a certain material or fixture can also be time-consuming. For example, if the insulation has to be tested, the contractor will have to find a way to collect that sample even if it is hidden with the walls of the house. The larger the house, the longer the inspection will take. It is common for the entire process to take a few hours if not longer. 

Expect the contractor to need access to even unused areas of the house. 

The crawlspace, the cellar, the attic, the garage—all of these are examples of places the contractor will need to access in order to gather samples. Make sure before the visit that you have made an access way to these areas to make things easier while the professional is visiting. Samples have to be collected from all areas to get a comprehensive collection of samples from all points. 

Expect it to be several days before you know the results of the test. 

Once all of the samples have been collected by the contractor, they will send the samples to a laboratory for proper testing. Therefore, you will likely not know immediately if the house does contain materials that contain asbestos. However, when you are working with an experienced contractor, many of them can offer a good estimation as to whether you are dealing with asbestos or not according to the samples they take, the age of the house, and other factors. 

If you need an asbestos inspection, contact a reputable company like Hutzel & Associates, Inc.