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Asbestos Removal and Asbestos Abatement Projects In Northern Virginia — What You Should Know

Used as a sprayed-on flame retardant material, asbestos was commonly used in Northern Virginia buildings until the late 1970s. Asbestos was sprayed above drop ceilings, inside heating and cooling ducts and most anywhere else where firefighters were unlikely to be able to reach in the event of a fire. In 1978, the use of asbestos was banned, but unfortunately, suppliers and manufacturers were allowed to continue using asbestos in their products until their inventory had been used entirely. This meant some homes built as late as 1986 were built using asbestos in the ceiling.

It is important to note asbestos is not typically harmful unless it is airborne and then inhaled while breathing. Asbestos can be found in many homes in a dormant state after decades, and not pose a threat. In most cases, the best approach to asbestos abatement is to simply leave it alone and cover it up.

In situations where the asbestos is open and exposed to the occupants of residential or commercial buildings, that is another matter. When asbestos is best removed, such as when it is found in flocked ceilings, only professionally trained asbestos removal companies should handle this, for the safety of all parties.

Professionals know how to handle the asbestos, and are trained to avoid accidentally dislodging the asbestos fibers. As we recently explained to a concerned Clarksville MD resident, asbestos removal requires extensive personal protection and safety equipment, and proper disposal techniques as well. Since the most hazardous fibers of asbestos are also extremely small, a homeowner's vacuum cleaner could fail to trap the fibers and even spread them further in the air. Asbestos removal requires an industrial strength equipment that traps every fragment of a particle inside. Professional asbestos removal experts use specially designed machines to trap the asbestos fibers, to protect themselves and the building occupants.

For more information on asbestos testing, asbestos removal and asbestos abatement, contact Northern Virginia’s asbestos removal experts at RTS Environmental Services. Serving Annandale, Fairfax and all of Northern Virginia and Maryland, trust the professionals at RTS with your asbestos removal project and trust them with your life.

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