Asbestos Building Inspection

Prior to any residential or commercial remodel, restoration or demolition project testing for possible asbestos containing materials is required by the State of Colorado (CDPHE-Colorado Department of Public Health) and Environmental protection agency (EPA). All inspectors are certified by the CDPHE and\\u00a0 EPA and inspections are done in accordance with all federal, state and local regulations. The inspections begin with a visual inspection of the property to determine what materials are potential asbestos containing materials (ACM).\\u00a0 Once it is determined what materials have are potentially ACM samples of those material are taken and submitted to a third party NVLAP certified lab for PLM (Polarized Light Microscopy) analysis. The following is a list of some of the materials that would need to be sample

• Attic and wall insulation produced containing vermiculite
• Vinyl floor tiles and the backing on vinyl sheet flooring and adhesives
• Roofing and siding shingles
• Textured paint and patching compounds used on wall and ceilings
• Walls and floors around wood-burning stoves protected with asbestos paper, millboard, or cement sheets
• Hot water and steam pipes coated with asbestos material or covered with an asbestos blanket or tape
• Oil and coal furnaces and door gaskets with asbestos insulation

According to the EPA and CDHPE there are three categories of suspect materials, thermal system insulation (TSI), surfacing materials, and miscellaneous materials. TSI includes pipe and boiler insulation and related materials. Surfacing materials include; spray and trowel applied surfacing materials, such as sprayed on fireproofing and textured acoustical plaster. Miscellaneous materials include anything not mentioned in the two material types mentioned above, such as acoustical overspray, caulking, joint compound, and floor tiles.

EPA and CDHPE allows the inspector to assume that any material does contain asbestos, and there are times when it is clearly evident that a material does contain asbestos from visual inspection. In those cases no sample needs to be collected, provided that the material is assumed to contain asbestos and treated as ACM. Where samples need to be collected to determine whether or not asbestos is present in a material that may or may not contain asbestos, it is necessary to follow the EPA and CDHPE rules governing the number of samples to collect. The number of samples acquired by EPA and CDHPE depends on the type and extent of material. For surfacing materials at least three samples of each homogeneous area must be collected in an area <1,000 square feet. Five samples in areas that are between 1,000 and 5,000 square feet. Seven samples in any area that is over 5,000 square feet. For TSI, a minimum of three samples per homogeneous material is required and/or one sample per patch area (<3 sq. ft. or <3 lin.ft.). A minimum of one sample of each miscellaneous material must be collected, regardless of quantity, to show that material not to contain regulated levels of asbestos. Only if all samples from a homogeneous area contain less than or equal to one percent asbestos can the material be deemed to not be regulated as ACM. Averaging of results is not permitted under EPA and CDHPE and various state regulations.

The number of samples prescribed by EPA and CDHPE are minimums, and EPA and CDHPE further requires that the inspector take enough samples, as determined by professional judgment, to be satisfied that the material is homogenous. It is often difficult to determine from visual inspection whether a material is in fact homogeneous, so more often than a minimum number of samples are sometimes collected.

Occasionally, a material, which appears to be homogeneous by visual inspection, will yield conflicting lab results. Another site visit may be required to further investigate and sample where needed, in order to redefine the homogeneous areas. This is possible when further investigation can allow the inspector to be confident that there are two different materials and the one that contains asbestos can be adequately defined. If in an area given where conflicting results are first obtained cannot be sub-divided into two homogeneous areas, EPA and CDHPE requires that all of the material be presumed to contain asbestos.

Once the results are received from the NVLAP certified laboratory a detailed report is put together identifying the ACM and not ACM. We then will work with abatement contractor to ensure all items are properly abated. After abatement activities are done our certified Air Monitoring Specialists (AMS) perform a final visual inspection and final air clearance sampling on the project.