Magnus Construction Services offers quality you can feel! They offer you the best specialists, from demolition to complete renovations. With over 13 years of experience serving Saskatoon and the surrounding area, you can trust Magnus for your residential or commercial projects, including Saskatoon spray foam, insulation, Saskatoon asbestos abatement, renovations and more. In their latest Saskatoon asbestos expert tip, they explain that getting Trusted Saskatoon Asbestos abatement pros at Magnus Construction Services to TEST for asbestos is recommended if you live or work in a pre-1990 property in Saskatoon.
Do you live or work in a pre-1990 property in Saskatoon? If so, you should check for asbestos for several reasons:
Health Risks: Asbestos is a hazardous material that, when disturbed or damaged, can release microscopic fibres into the air. Inhalation of these fibres can lead to serious health issues, including lung diseases and certain types of cancer.
Older Buildings: Many buildings constructed before the 1990s may contain asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) such as insulation, flooring, ceiling tiles, or pipe insulation. It is essential to determine if these materials are present and if they pose a risk.|
Renovations and Demolitions: Any renovation or demolition work that involves disturbing potential ACMs can release asbestos fibres into the air. Identifying and adequately managing these materials before starting any construction or renovation project is crucial.
Legal Requirements: In many jurisdictions, including Saskatoon, regulations and guidelines are in place to manage asbestos-containing materials. Compliance with these regulations is necessary to ensure the safety of workers and the public.
To determine the presence of asbestos in a building or materials, it is advisable to consult with the professionals at Magnus Construction, and we are experienced Saskatoon asbestos abatement contractors. We can conduct proper testing and provide guidance on appropriate actions to mitigate any risks.
Click here to get a quote!
'Your one partner solution for healthy, efficient and durable buildings.'
Magnus Construction Services offers quality you can feel! They offer you the best specialists from demolition to complete renovations. You can trust Magnus for your residential or commercial projects, including spray foam, insulation, roofing, asbestos abatement, basement renovations, attics drywall and finishing. Magnus Construction is a Trusted Saskatoon Contractor Specializing in Insulation and Fireproofing.
In their first Trusted Saskatoon contracting tip, discuss the dangers of asbestos during home remodels.
The Dangers of Asbestos During Home Remodels
When
you want to renovate your home, your focus is often on the design and scope of
the project, the
cost of the upgrades, and the eventual impact of the renovation on your
home’s value. Your mind rarely goes to the presence of potentially toxic materials
inside the structures of the building. But this
is a real risk during home improvement projects, especially when dealing with
homes that were built in the 1980s. Homes from this era often have materials
that contain asbestos and those hazardous building materials may still be in the
home to the present day.
What
is asbestos and why is it dangerous?
Asbestos
used to be considered a revolutionary material for building construction. It is
a natural silicate mineral that is resistant to chemicals and able to withstand
high temperatures. It was widely used in the building industry all the way from
the 1920s to well after the 1980s. In
1960, it was conclusively linked to a range of long-term illnesses and many
forms of cancer. After it was identified as the number one cause of
occupational cancer, asbestos has been heavily regulated and its use is no
longer as widespread as it used to be.
But, it
still remains a problem today, particularly in homes built 40 or more years
ago. Asbestos becomes dangerous when materials with asbestos in them are worn
down or damaged. Sanding, sawing, grinding, and any physical impact on such
materials will make them unsafe.
These
are the kinds of actions that typically happen during a home renovation. This
is why asbestos exposure is a high possibility when renovating your home and you
may be exposed to asbestos even if your home is less than 40 years old.
Health
impact of asbestos exposure
The
following diseases are known to be linked to asbestos exposure:
Asbestosis
When inhaled, asbestos can cause scarring
in lung tissues. This prevents the passage of oxygen and carbon dioxide, making
breathing harder. Asbestosis is caused by prolonged exposure to asbestos. It is
more common with people who work in the building industry.
Pleural Disease
Asbestos can damage the surrounding
membranes of the lungs and chest cavity (pleura). The membrane can become
thicker, hardened, or experience fluid buildup. This is not a cancerous
condition but it can cause difficulty with breathing and lung malfunction.
Lung Cancer
Asbestos can cause lung cancer or increase
the chances of lung cancer in individuals. The risk of lung cancer is greater
for smokers who are also exposed to asbestos.
Mesothelioma
This cancer affects the membrane around the
lungs and chest cavity. It can also affect the abdominal lining and membranes
surrounding other organs of the body.
Building
materials that may contain asbestos
Common building
materials that may contain asbestos include roof shingles, sheet vinyl,
pipe wrap, plaster mud and texture, vermiculite insulation, glazing on older
windows, door gaskets, duct seam tape, electrical wiring, fireproof products, boiler
wrap, popcorn ceilings, joint compounds, and cement asbestos board siding.
The
threat of asbestos exposure becomes even higher when the asbestos is friable,
easily crushed, or crumbled by hand. Examples of products with friable asbestos
include older types of spray-on insulation and spray-on ceiling textures. Newer
products may not have this issue.
How
to tell if your home has asbestos
There
is no straightforward way to detect the presence of asbestos in your home. Generally,
you can assume the presence of the material if the building is more than 40
years old. But you cannot completely rule out its presence in more recent
homes.
Asbestos
is used in a wide range of building products. This makes its presence hard to
identify. Knowing products with a history of containing asbestos can help. But
to be completely sure that your home is asbestos-free, you need a certified building
inspector to check the home.
If your
home is older and there are visible signs of aging on the property, this
inspection is absolutely vital. Aging and damage will increase the chances of
exposure to asbestos in a building. You should also get a professional
asbestos abatement contractor if you are about to renovate that building.
There
are three important things to note about the presence of asbestos in the home
and how to deal with this problem:
· In most
provinces, testing for asbestos is not a requirement when selling a home. As
long as a seller does not knowingly sell you a home with asbestos, they are not
liable. This means your new home can have asbestos in it.
· Home
inspections do not include inspecting the home for asbestos. Just because a
home got a good inspection report, it doesn’t mean there is no asbestos in it.
But you may order an asbestos inspection as an add-on if your home inspector is also
certified for asbestos inspections.
· If you
suspect the presence of asbestos in your home, do not attempt to remove it by
sweeping, vacuuming, or other similar actions. This will only make the asbestos
airborne and more dangerous.
We encourage you to visit Magnus' listing on Trusted Saskatoon to see all their services and to find their contact details. Questions? Simply reach out to Conrad or Eduardo in person about your situation. They are here to help, they don’t speak construction language on technical concepts, they are very knowledgeable and will offer you a free consultation!
“Your One Partner Solution for Healthy, Efficient, and Durable Buildings!”
Magnus Construction Services offers quality you can feel! They offer you the best specialists from demolition to complete renovations. You can trust Magnus for your residential or commercial projects, including spray foam, insulation, roofing, asbestos abatement, basement renovations, attics drywall, and finishing. Magnus Construction is a Trusted Saskatoon Contractor Specializing in asbestos safety. In their latest Trusted Saskatoon contracting tip, they discuss the dangers of asbestos and what to look out for.
As part of Magnus's social purpose, we strive to create more awareness about the danger asbestos represents for public health. These materials are still present in millions of homes and commercial buildings today in Canada. This is why we have been working along with the mesothelioma center to fight against its threats.
Did you know that asbestos could cause cancer?
Mesothelioma is a malignant tumour caused by inhaled asbestos fibres, it appears not only in the lungs but heart and abdomen. The life expectancy is approximately 12 months.
Here we have some tips to avoid contact with asbestos, and also where you could find it at home or in your commercial business.
AT WORK
For decades, workers and homeowners had no idea asbestos exposure could lead to big issues and diseases such as mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis. We are glad that more companies are aware of the danger and they are implementing processes and policies to remove asbestos in a safe way.
We strongly suggest you never perform asbestos if you are not trained and certified, call MAGNUS Construction Services, your expert to do this
Ask your employer about any asbestos exposure, health risks in your workplace
In case you have contact, never sweep, dust, or vacuum asbestos debris with a regular vacuum cleaner. Use wet cleaning methods
Offer respiratory protection if exposure limits are exceeded
AT HOME
The only way to tell if your house contains asbestos is by getting a test by a professional, a certified laboratory for testing.
The danger appears when homeowners perform renovations that release asbestos dust into the air. You may think it is a normal process, but drilling, sawing, cutting, scraping into the walls, ceiling or floor create a health risk.
PROTECTING YOURSELF FROM ASBESTOS IN YOUR HOME
Before buying a house ask your realtor or inspector if there is asbestos in your home. Ask them for a report you can review
If your house is more than 30 years old, don’t perform any DIY renovations if you are not sure whether you have asbestos or not.
Never attempt to remove asbestos without help from MAGNUS Construction Service. We have all the know-how, licenses, talent, and machinery to do a safe job.
Where can we find asbestos?
We encourage you to visit Magnus Construction's listing in the contractor's category on the Trusted Saskatoon directory to see all their services and to find their contact details.
Questions?
Simply reach out to Conrad or Eduardo in person about your situation. They are here to help, they don’t speak construction language on technical concepts, they are very knowledgeable and will offer you a free consultation!
“Your One Partner Solution for Healthy, Efficient, and Durable Buildings!”
K & S Contracting specializes in foundation repair for homeowners across Saskatchewan, in addition, they also offer general contracting services to Saskatoon and the surrounding area. In their latest Trusted Saskatoon contractor tip, K & S Contracting Trusted Saskatoon General Contractors and foundation specialists, discuss vermiculite insulation.
Vermiculite Insulation - What Is It?
If you have never seen vermiculite insulating an attic, it looks similar to little squares of coloured glass or little grey beads. Vermiculite is a naturally occurring mineral worldwide. When heated rapidly to high temperatures, this crystalline mineral expands into low density, accordion-like, golden brown strands. In fact, its worm-like shape is what gives vermiculite its name. The worms are broken into rectangular chunks about the size of the eraser on the end of a pencil. In addition to being light, vermiculite chunks are also absorbent and fire retardant. It also makes a good insulating material.
Where Was It Used?
Sold under various brand names, such as Zonolite Attic Insulation, the insulation came in big bags. Thousands of homeowners simply opened the bags and poured the vermiculite onto their attic floor and sometimes down exterior walls. It was generally not used in new construction.
When Was It Used?
Worldwide, vermiculite has been used in various industries as long ago as 1920. With the upsurge in homeownership during the baby boom, vermiculite insulation was a popular material in the 1950s and continued with the energy crisis into the late 1970s. In Canada, it was one of the insulating materials allowed under the Canadian Home Insulation Program from about 1976 to the mid-1980s. There have been some government-provided grants offered to homeowners to increase insulation levels, reducing energy consumption. Worthwhile checking in to see what may be available.
What Is The Problem?
The majority of the vermiculite used worldwide was from a mine in Libby, Montana, owned and operated since 1963 by W.R. Grace. The mine was closed in 1990. As well as being rich in vermiculite, this mine had the misfortune of having a deposit of tremolite, a type of asbestos. When the vermiculite was extracted, some tremolite came in with the mix. For Canadian use, the raw product from the Libby mine was shipped to Grace subsidiary F. Hyde processing plants in Montreal, St. Thomas, Ajax and Toronto, and Grant Industries in western Canada. At these plants, it was processed and sold as Zonolite.
What Is The Risk?
Asbestos minerals tend to separate into microscopic particles that become airborne and are easily inhaled. People exposed to asbestos in the workplace have developed several types of life-threatening diseases, including lung cancer. Workers in and around the Libby mine developed serious health problems.
Like any hazards, length and intensity of exposure are major factors in the risk of asbestos-related respiratory illness. To assess the risk of asbestos exposure at a house, a sample of the vermiculite would need to be analyzed by a lab. Since most of the vermiculite used in Canada was taken from the Libby mine, the odds are quite good that there is asbestos in the vermiculite in Canadian attics.
The good news is that we don’t live in our attics. In addition, as long as it is undisturbed, neither the asbestos fibres bound up in the vermiculite chunks nor the dust will be released into the air. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in the U.S., “Most people who get asbestos-related diseases have been exposed to high levels of asbestos for a long time.” Lastly, most of the time the air in your house flows from the house into the attic, rather than into the house from the attic.
The bottom line is, like most household products that may contain asbestos, and there are many, doing nothing is often the best approach. Naturally, the risk of exposure increases with the amount of time spent in the attic.
Our Recommendations
If the attic or walls of a house contain vermiculite insulation, leave it alone. Avoid disturbing the material. Do not sweep it or vacuum it up. Do not store belongings in the attic.
If work is planned that involves these areas, for example installing pot-lights in a room below the attic, send a sample of the vermiculite to a private lab. Send several samples, and use a lab specializing in asbestos analysis. If it is found to contain asbestos, or if you just assume it does, precautions should be taken. The safest approach would be to have the insulation in the affected areas removed by a qualified environmental contractor.
For smaller jobs, it may be sufficient to isolate work areas with temporary barriers or enclosures to avoid spreading fibres, use disposable protective clothing, and use proper respiratory protection. An important note – disposable respirators or dust masks are not appropriate for asbestos. Again, it is best to consult a qualified contractor.
Tip on Carbon Monoxide Poisoning:
Also called: CO poisoning
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a gas that has no odour or color. CO is very dangerous. It can cause sudden illness and death. CO is found in combustion fumes, such as those made by cars and trucks, lanterns, stoves, gas ranges and heating systems. CO from these fumes can build up in places that don’t have a good flow of fresh air. People can be poisoned by breathing in CO. The most common symptoms of CO poisoning are:
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Weakness
- Chest pain
- Headache
It is typically difficult to tell if someone has CO poisoning, since the symptoms may be like those of other illnesses. People who are sleeping or intoxicated can die from CO poisoning before they have symptoms. A CO detector can warn you if you have high levels of CO in your home.