The Hazards of Asbestos Shingles in Falls Church, VA

Why you Shouldn't Shingle Over Asbestos Shingles in Falls Church, VA

We have a long and complicated relationship with asbestos.

When it first started seeing widespread use in construction, back in the 1920’s, nobody understood the risks and dangers associated with it. In fact, it was seen as something of a wonder material, perfectly suited for homes and office buildings.

Envirotex is a licensed, asbestos inspection and abatement contractor. We offer:

Safe and vigilant containment and removal following the highest safety procedures
Thorough site decontamination
Lawful disposal
All asbestos testing performed by an independent, certified lab

It’s not hard to understand why. After all, asbestos has a number of enormously attractive traits, including the fact that it is:

Easy to paint and/or replace
Extremely easy to clean
Resistant to termite damage and rot
Impervious to fire
An exceptional insulator
And is durable and long-lasting

Based on these traits, builders found a wide range of uses for it which is why so many homes built between 1920 and 1979 sported asbestos shingles in Falls Church, VA, in addition to featuring asbestos-based insulation, floor tiles, and even siding.

Of course, over time, we became aware of the dangers posed by exposure to asbestos, which culminated in the EPA’s issuance of its Asbestos Ban and Phase Out Rule, issued in 1989. Since that time, government agencies, businesses, and homeowners around the country have been working diligently to remove all traces of asbestos from their homes and offices.

Unfortunately, given how long asbestos was widely used, that is a daunting project. By some estimates, up to 80% of the buildings constructed prior to the ban contain asbestos in some form, which explains why even today, it’s not hard to find homes with asbestos shingles in Falls Church, VA.

Unlike lead paint, which sellers are required to disclose the presence of to prospective home buyers, there is no legal requirement for a seller to inform a potential home buyer of the presence of asbestos, so often, the only way you can know for sure is to have your home tested for its presence.

We’re happy to help with that! As the top-rated environmental services company in the region, we’ve got the skills, experience and specialized equipment to tell you for certain, one way or the other, if you have asbestos shingles on your Falls Church, VA home.

If you do, you may be tempted to simply shingle over them when it’s time to re-roof. After all, once they’re covered by new shingles, it shouldn’t be a problem, right?

Sadly, it’s not quite that simple. Asbestos shingles on your Falls Church, VA home are quite brittle. As such, when you start hammering nails into them during the process of re-roofing, many of them will break apart and crumble, and that’s when the trouble starts.

When those shingles crumble apart, they’ll release tiny asbestos particles into the air. These will wind up in your home, either by being tracked in on the bottoms of your shoes or simply floating into the house through the air.

Ultimately, they’ll be breathed in by you or members of your family. If you’re very lucky, nothing will happen as a result of that. If you’re not as lucky, someone in your family will wind up with some kind of upper respiratory ailment or inflammation. The worst case is mesothelioma.

You’ve probably seen late night infomercials on TV about mesothelioma and the class action lawsuits that have arisen via exposure to asbestos. It’s a devastating form of cancer, and unfortunately, there’s no cure.

For that reason, we don’t recommend simply roofing over the asbestos shingles on your Falls Church, VA home. We’d strongly advise having them removed, and we can take care of that for you.

If we determine you’ve got asbestos in your home in any form, shingles or otherwise, our next step will be to draft a detailed remediation plan, which will include a free, no-obligation estimate so you’ll know exactly what it will take to put the problem behind you once and for all.

Then, assuming you’re comfortable with the estimate, we’ll get to work. Broadly speaking, our process looks like this:

Step 1 – Isolation: We’ll cordon off the roof so that when we proceed with the remediation, none of the asbestos particles will escape to trouble you further.
Step 2 – Removal: We’ll completely remove the asbestos from your home.
Step 3 – Decontamination: Once the material has been removed, we’ll thoroughly decontaminate the area to ensure that no trace of it remains.
Step 4 – Disposal: Finally, when we’re finished, we’ll dispose of the material, using a properly licensed and accredited facility.

Of course, we handle a lot more than just asbestos remediation. Feel free to call on us any time you even suspect the presence of some type of environmental hazard in your home, or anywhere on your property. That includes lead paint, mold, and more!

Whatever the shape and form of the hazard, our process of remediation is broadly similar to the one we outlined above, although it goes without saying that since each material is different, there will be some differences in the particulars of their removal.

The bottom line is, your family’s health is too important to take chances with. Give us a call, and we’ll be more than happy to come out to your property, assess the situation, and give you our professional opinion.

There aren’t many kinds of hazardous materials we can’t take care of, and there’s tremendous peace of mind in knowing that the area’s top-rated environmental services company is just a phone call away, should you need us.

While we hope you and your family are never exposed to hazardous materials of any kind, we’ll be looking forward to the opportunity to exceed your expectations if you ever find yourself in need of our services!

About Envriotex Environmental Services

Established in Northern Virginia in 2000, Envirotex Environmental Services was founded on military service. While serving his country, the company's owner Mr. Freeman gained vast knowledge and experience in the environmental services field. His expertise in air monitoring and hazardous materials testing prepared him for his post-military career.

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Envirotex helped alleviate the stress associated with the flooding of our basement. Although the insurance adjuster was quick to get a company in there to rip out the carpeting and drag it out into our driveway (where it remained for several days), neither the adjuster nor the carrier was concern about the ensuing mold growth that we were seeing on the drywall and ceiling tiles. If not for the professional survey, analysis and report that you furnished detailing the extent of the mold contamination, the cause thereof and the work that was required to be performed, I am certain that we would still be fighting with the insurance company. Thank you, we are very glad that we had Envirotex in our corner!

Sally R.
Alexandria, VA

Thanks for your help, Daniel. Your intervention was much needed and appreciated. I will let Brock approve these as he sees fit, as you guys hammered out the agreement and scope. But I did not want the opportunity to go by and not show my appreciation. You always take care of us and you are great at rolling with the punches. Carry on, Christian soldier!

Jenkins Restorations

Good morning, I just wanted to send a quick "THANK YOU" to you all for a prompt response to my call at the end of last week. My wife told me that the crew members were very professional and explained the process to her. Thanks to Dan for responding during his meeting and working with me. I would also like to thank Sara for jumping on the proposal ASAP as well.

Cheers,
Jason Cox