With the holidays fast approaching, we all have those renovation projects we want to finish so our home looks perfect for our guests. I know that I have an ever-growing list of areas I want to improve around the home with a laundry room remodel at the top of my list.
There are many decisions to make when it comes to fixing up our favorite spaces but one thing we often forget about is the importance of asbestos safety during home renovations.
What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a fibrous material that was used in more than 3,000 building materials between the 1950s and 1990s. It can still be found in numerous products including:
- Insulation
- Floor tiles
- Siding
- Plumbing (asbestos was commonly used to coat the pipes)
- Shingles
That is why if you’re planning any major renovations and your home was built before 1990, you need to take asbestos seriously.
Health and Safety Concerns of Asbestos
Did you know asbestos-related disease is the leading cause of workplace death in B.C.? Scary, and when you look at the statistics, asbestos safety becomes extremely important. In the nine-year span between 2006-2015, 584 works died in B.C. from disease related to asbestos exposure including:
- Asbestosis (lung disease)
- Lung cancer
- Mesothelioma
The scary part is 30% of these asbestos-related deaths were in the construction industry. Before any renovation work starts, identify any asbestos in your home and get it properly removed by a professional to ensure the health and safety of everyone working on your project.
To learn more about asbestos and safely removing it from your home before any renovation or demolition project begins, visit .
Put safety first when starting a new renovation project in your home. Before you even consider ripping out the old tiles in your kitchen, knocking out a wall to make your closet bigger or upgrading your bathroom, consult a professional to test for asbestos.
What home renovation are you excited to get started?
This post has been generously sponsored by WorkSafeBC, the opinions and language are my own.
8 Comments
Wow, I had no idea that a good amount of deaths related to asbestos were during construction projects. My husband and I are wanting to do a renovation project in our home, and asbestos didn’t even cross my mind as a potential danger. Knowing that it can cause problems like lung cancer, I will probably hire an inspection service before the project starts. Thanks for the insight!
Hey Laura,
Asbestos is incredibly dangerous… you have brought up a really important topic here. Everyone, before starting any renovations on an older home, that was built or renovated when asbestos was a common material. you must check to see if they have been used. Always wear a mask, glasses and gloves.
Once you unsettle old asbestos, now it’s in the air, and this is no good!
Thanks for sharing the article Laura,
Jessica
Preparing for a remodeling project is a lot like preparing to buy a car. You may know the room and style you want, but the options you choose may drive the price higher than you can reasonably afford. But there are ways to stretch the remodeling budget and end up with stylish results within budget.
Renovations can produce a great deal of waste if not handled properly. Here you can learn about the management issues you should consider, the availability of green building products, indoor air quality problems that might arise, how to reduce renovation waste and how to dispose of the remaining waste properly.
Renovations can produce a great deal of waste if not handled properly. Here you can learn about the management issues you should consider, the availability of green building products, indoor air quality problems that might arise, how to reduce renovation waste and how to dispose of the remaining waste properly.
I just was going to do my home renovation and decided to surf the net about it and found this article! That was very useful information. I have never thought that asbestos is so dangerous really.
Preparing for a remodeling project is a lot like preparing to buy a car. You may know the room and style you want, but the options you choose may drive the price higher than you can reasonably afford. But there are ways to stretch the remodeling budget and end up with stylish results within budget.
This is some really good information about asbestos safety. It is good to know that asbestos can be in floor tiles. That is good for me to know because I want to replace the tiles in my basement and my home is pretty old so it might have asbestos.