Ottawa Asbestos Testing & Lead Testing

OTTAWA ASBESTOS TESTING SERVICES

Whether you are planning a renovation project or a full scale demolition of a building in Ontario, proper asbestos testing should be part of your plan prior to beginning any of the work. In Ontario, asbestos related work is covered by Ontario Regulation 278/05: Designated Substance - Asbestos on Construction Projects and in Building and Repair Operations. Based on this regulation, those looking to hire third party contractors for renovation projects are required to have materials tested for asbestos before they are disturbed or removed.

This ensures that contractors, their employees, and occupants know if they may be exposed to asbestos and they can properly and safely deal with the issue.

Who should test for asbestos?

According to Health Canada “before 1990, asbestos was mainly used for insulating buildings and homes against cold weather, noise and for fireproofing”.

This means that if you own an older home and you are planning a renovation project, then you need to have materials tested for asbestos before they are removed or disturbed.

What materials should be tested for asbestos?

Some of the most common materials that can contain asbestos include:

Ceiling tiles;
air duct wrap;
vinyl floor tiles;
stippled ceiling;
vermiculite insulation;
plaster over lath/drywall;
textured ceilings or walls;
joint compound (mudding);
cement/concrete materials;
linoleum vinyl sheet flooring;

Our company offer two types of asbestos testing services:

We can schedule a technician to come to your home and let you know what materials should be tested, as well as collect samples and provide you with a written report outlining the lab results, findings, state of materials, and friability of materials, as well as recommended abatement procedures to be used; or
You can collect your own samples drop them off for analysis and receive the lab results which clearly state if there is asbestos in the samples and in what quantities;

For booking a technician, please call (613)366-5226 or email us at info@oies.ca

For sample drop-off, please call ahead at (613)366-5226 for collection, packaging, and drop-off instructions.

SAMPLE DROP-OFF LOCATION
2310 St. Laurent Blvd, Unit 216
Ottawa, ON K1G 5H9

OTTAWA ASBESTOS TESTING

If your property was built prior to 1986, then it is likely that some of the building materials used during the construction of the building may contain asbestos. For this reason, if you are considering renovating, then you need to consider testing materials for asbestos content if they are to be disturbed or removed in any way.

You can book a technician with us to do a walkthrough of your property and determine what materials should be tested if they are to be removed or disturbed, and to collect samples based on your renovation plans and budget, as well as provide you with a written report outlining the findings and recommendations.

OTTAWA ASBESTOS ANALYSIS

We are committed to providing services that meet your specific needs, so if you have collected your own samples and would like to have them analyzed, then you call us and simply drop them off at:

2310 St. Laurent Blvd, Unit 216
Ottawa, ON K1G 5H9.

Please call ahead at (613) 366-5226 for collection, packaging, and drop-off instructions.

OTTAWA VERMICULITE INSULATION ASBESTOS TESTING

Vermiculite insulation is a friable material that can be easily disturbed and dispersed. Some vermiculite insulation may also contain asbestos, and as such, it highly recommended that only individuals experienced in the use of proper personal protective equipment handle the sampling of vermiculite insulation found in attics.

Our technician wear full personal protective equipment when going into attics and collecting samples for you, so you don’t have to potentially expose yourself to airborne asbestos fibers trying to collect samples yourself.

For more information, please give us a call (613)366-5226.

OTTAWA ASBESTOS AIR TESTING & CLEARANCE TESTING

Once disturbed, an asbestos containing material can release microscopic fibers into the air. It is for this reason that materials should be tested prior to their disturbance, however, this isn’t always the case. In such situations, asbestos air sampling can let you know if a space is being contaminated by airborne fibers, as well as determine exposure levels.

Our certified and experienced team can also conduct clearance asbestos inspections, and clearance asbestos air testing after asbestos abatement has been completed.

For more information, please give us a call (613) 366-5226.

"Setting higher professional standards because we believe that everyone deserves a healthy indoor environment, and that nothing is more important than your health, your family’s health, and your peace of mind."

OTTAWA ASBESTOS TESTING

Asbestos is considered to be a Designated Substance. This means that by law, materials that may contain asbestos must be tested for their presence prior to being removed or disturbed.

Ontario Regulation 278/05: Designated Substance - Asbestos on Construction Projects and in Building and Repair Operations tells us the minimum requirement for testing materials, safe removal/abatement practices, and post-abatement clearance testing procedures.

Please be aware that in Ontario a specific minimum number of samples must be taken and analyzed to be in compliance with O. Reg. 278/05. You can refer to Table 1 found in O.Reg 278/05 for the minimum number of samples required for specific material types.

Under O. Reg 278/05, a building material is considered to be non asbestos if the minimum number of samples that must be collected for that material are found to contain asbestos in quantities less than 0.5%. Materials with asbestos content greater than 0.5% are considered to be Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs).

Any asbestos containing material that is going to be disturbed or removed, must be removed using proper asbestos abatement procedures. Friability is the most important factor for determining the proper abatement procedures to be used during asbestos removal.

Friability refers to a material that “when dry, can be crumbled, pulverized or powdered by hand pressure, or is crumbled, pulverized or powdered”.

Non-friable materials, such as joint compound containing asbestos found between drywall sheets, can be removed using Type 1 asbestos abatement if the amount of drywall containing asbestos joint compound to be removed is less than 10 Square Feet. On the other hand, if the amount of drywall with asbestos containing joint compound to be removed is more than 10 Square Feet, then Type 2 asbestos abatement procedures must be used.

Friable materials, such as non-painted stippled (popcorn) ceiling plaster, requires Type 2 asbestos abatement if the amount to be removed is less than 10 Square Feet. Or, Type 3 asbestos abatement if the amount to be removed is greater than 10 square feet.

Due to its friability and high volumes usually present in attics, asbestos containing vermiculite insulation must be removed using Type 3 asbestos abatement procedures.

For more information, please give us a call (613)366-5226 or email us at info@oies.ca

Our Ottawa ON Services Include:

Ottawa Mold Air Testing, IAQ Assessments, Asbestos Testing, Asbestos Surveys, Pre-Renovation Hazardous Materials Reports, Designated Substances Surveys (DSS), Designated Substances Reports (DSR), VOC Testing, Mold Inspections, Mold Assessments, Remedial Action Plan Drafting, Scope of Work Drafting, and Lead Testing.