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Berkeley’s Alameda County – Asbestos Inspection

BERKELEY’S ALAMEDA COUNTY – ASBESTOS INSPECTION

CALL US AT (310)396-6532 TO SCHEDULE YOUR ASBESTOS INSPECTION!

Before 1978, the use of asbestos in construction was widespread. And although the EPA eliminated asbestos in a large number of those materials in that year, it remains legal to use asbestos in the manufacturing of certain construction materials. Even if your home is not one of almost 3 out of every 4 in Berkeley to have been built before the EPA implemented those regulations, it may still harbor asbestos.

Environmental Inspection Services can perform the asbestos tests required by state law, including those throughout Berkeley’s Alameda County. Asbestos can appear in many places, including popcorn ceiling textures, insulation, vinyl tiles and flooring, as well as stucco and asphalt roofing. All these and more will be tested for asbestos by our California Division of Occupational Safety and Health Certified Asbestos Consultants, allowing you confidence that your home or building is safe.

Mesothelioma, asbestosis, and cancer, especially lung cancer, are all possible consequences of asbestos exposure. CDC summary: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/asbestos/
Any construction or remodeling in Berkeley or Alameda County will necessitate a report from an asbestos inspection to be approved. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District and CAL OSHA also impose the need for an asbestos inspection. The report from our asbestos test can be used to meet these regulations.

Depending on whether your project is for remodeling or demolition, we will either test those areas that will be damaged or used in the remodeling, or for a demolition, all materials in the structure that are likely to have been made with asbestos.

Our inspectors will only need to make a small, pencil-width hole in order to acquire a sample.
Sampling rules are set by regulatory agencies in Berkeley’s Alameda County and by the state. Get in touch with us to find out an approximation of sampling requirements for your home or structure.

The number of samples required for a thorough asbestos testing depends on the amount and type of material in the building. Environmental Inspection Services follows federal, state, and local AQMD protocols to determine the number of samples needed. For a more precise estimate of how many samples are needed for your asbestos inspection, give us a call.

You do not need to leave during the test – it is not dangerous.
In the case of larger textures, there can be as high as a 50% chance it contains asbestos. Reach out to us for your Berkeley or Alameda County asbestos inspection and we will determine whether asbestos abatement is necessary.
You cannot tell whether a substance has asbestos by sight alone. This is why Environmental Inspection Services will employ Transmission Electron Microscopy or Phase Contrast Microscopy to test for asbestos.
Give us a call for an estimate, as costs vary for different buildings based on construction materials, age, size, layout, and other variables.
Hundreds of building products used asbestos through the 1970s, so if your property is older than 1980 it likely contains asbestos.
Most Berkeley and Alameda County asbestos inspections take from two to four hours. Other buildings, especially bigger commercial buildings, vary. For an approximate timeframe, contact us.
Our lab can provide its conclusions within two to three business days. If you need an answer faster, results can be provided within 24 hours on request.
The health problems caused by asbestos are due to its small fibers, which may be left behind even if the material is taken out.
To avoid conflicts of interest, California law prohibits asbestos consultants from also providing asbestos removal.
Relevant Links/Sources of Information:

Los Angeles/Orange County: http://www.aqmd.gov/home/regulations/compliance/asbestos-demolition-removal
San Francisco/Bay Area: http://www.baaqmd.gov/permits/asbestos
CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/asbestos/
OSHA: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/asbestos/