Asbestos Removal – Watling Street, Burnaby, BC

Homes built with materials containing asbestos may seem  harmless but studies over the years have shown they’re not.

Asbestos is a mineral fiber that has been proven useful in various industries. Its usage started even before our ancestors began recording history. Back then, asbestos is mainly used for wicks in lamps and candles. However, as technology advances, people discover that asbestos is not only limited to lamp and candle usage. They discovered that it has chemical properties that make up a good fabric, paper, helmets, and insulator. 

Asbestos was further commercialized in the 1800s, and since then, it has been widely used by various industries, including construction. It was commonly used as a drywall joint compound and ceiling insulation because of its malleable property that’s vital in building, binding, and strengthening commodities. However, as years passed by, it was discovered that asbestos caused health hazards once they were inhaled. People who were exposed to high asbestos levels acquired lung disease, and since a lot of studies have proven the significant relation between asbestos and lung problems, its usage has been discouraged. In some countries, it was even banned. Take note, however, that asbestos usage was not banned completely, although some industries were still trying to figure out a better replacement for it. 

A lot of materials were tested to replace asbestos, particularly in terms of insulation, and vermiculite was one of those. From the 1920s up until the late 1990s, Vermiculite was widely used as home insulation in American homes until it was discovered that the mine where most vermiculites came from was contaminated with asbestos. Unfortunately, the single family home we’re currently working within our Burnaby site has been one of those homes that were built when vermiculite was widely used. And since there’s a high possibility that asbestos is present on the property, asbestos testing was initially implemented to identify which part of the home contains high levels of it. 

The test revealed that there are indeed sections of the home which were exposed to the high levels of asbestos.

The management of Lucullan Properties immediately took steps for asbestos to be taken out. They coordinated with MWL Demolition Team to ensure that all asbestos, drywall, and toxic substances that may possibly be found in the home would be taken out.

The removal of asbestos, drywall, and hazardous substances for the Burnaby property took place last May and cost our company roughly $25K to $50K for the old, approximately 2720 sq ft. Fair enough to keep everyone safe from the dangers of asbestos.

This article was last updated on Sep 24, 2023