Selling an Older Home in Haymarket VA? Have an Asbestos Inspection
If you’re interested in selling your home and it contains asbestos, the first thing you should do is to find out if the asbestos is in good condition. Envirotex is licensed and insured to perform asbestos inspections in Haymarket VA. If you’re not sure if your home contains asbestos, Envirotex will do an inspection and take samples of any asbestos to determine the condition of the asbestos.
How can I tell if I have asbestos in the house? You can’t tell whether a section of your home contains asbestos simply by looking at it. (There may be an increased health risk if fibers are released, so don’t try to handle it, or get a sample of it yourself.) Envirotex will do an asbestos inspection of your Haymarket VA home, and will tell you if it needs to be removed or can be encapsulated.
Asbestos can be found in different areas of the home’s structure or heating systems. If your home contains vermiculite insulation in walls or in your attic it may contain asbestos. Vermiculite is a mineral that when heated to a high temperature expands into particles, creating a lightweight fire resistant material. According the Environmental Protection Agency, 70% of all vermiculite sold in the U.S. from 1919 to 1990 came from a mine in Libby, Montana which was contaminated with asbestos
Other areas in your home that may contain asbestos are:
- Shingles and Siding
- Vinyl Floor Tiles
- Pipe insulation in older homes
- Textured paint and wall patching materials made before 1977
Do you have to tell the buyer about the asbestos? Discuss the asbestos and disclosure forms with your Realtor. If you are absolutely certain your home has asbestos, you should indicate this in your legal disclosure agreement. If you do hire an asbestos inspector, you may want to include the inspection results in the asbestos disclosure.
If asbestos is in good condition (not damaged, deteriorated, or crumbling), no laws or regulations require that it be removed. Repairing damaged asbestos is usually cheaper than removal, depending on the area of the home that contains asbestos. (Doing minor repairs yourself is not recommended since disturbing asbestos materials releases the fibers that are hazardous to your health.) Your asbestos contractor, Envirotex, can remove or repair asbestos by either sealing or covering asbestos material. Encapsulation of asbestos treats the material with a sealant that either binds the asbestos fibers together or coats the material so fibers are not released. Pipe, furnace, and boiler insulation can be repaired this way. Only a professional trained to handle asbestos safely should undertake these repairs.
If you have asbestos or suspect you have asbestos in your Haymarket VA home, call the asbestos inspection, asbestos testing and asbestos removal specialists for Haymarket , VA: Enivortex. Serving all of Northern Virginia, Envirotex is the area's premier asbestos inspection, testing and removal contractors. Please call us today: 703-754-0892.
