Aging properties can be charming and cheaper than new, but there are dangerous materials used in construction decades ago that have since been banned.
If you are considering renovating or doing repairs to an older home or commercial building, investigate whether your property is toxic substance free by contacting R.C. White Ltd. for a consultation. The only proper way to deal with noxious substances is to hire trained professionals who know how to extract and dispose of the substances.

There are 11 materials that were commonly used in construction from 1930 to 1950 that are dangerous to a person’s health and no longer used. So long as the substances are undisturbed, there is no need to worry. Occasionally renovations or repairs are required and demand the removal of substances like asbestos, lead, mercury and arsenic.

In particular asbestos, which was banned in 1977, can be found in roofing and siding shingles and was used as insulation. It might also have been combined with textured paint and patching compounds used on walls and ceiling joints.

Since the substance was used to strengthen materials and as a heat and fire retardant, it’s been located in walls and floors around wood-burning stoves, in vinyl tiles and packed around hot water and steam pipes. Asbestos may also have been used around oil and coal furnaces and door gaskets.

Occasionally asbestos was used in soundproofing and decorative materials. When gas fireplaces were first installed, asbestos was used in artificial ashes and embers, fireproof gloves, stove-top pads and iron board covers.

Asbestos was also used in the automotive industry in the construction of brake pads and linings, clutch facings and gaskets.

Asbestos is a mineral fiber and can only be identified with a microscope analysis. The natural substance is only a health hazard when the fibres are inhaled. Prolonged exposure can cause various cancers.

For a more thorough explanation of what needs to be done to rid your home of asbestos, contact R.C. White Ltd. discuss your options.