Home test for asbestos?

… It Might Not Be As Easy – Or As Cheap – As You Think

Here at Asbestos Abatement, Inc. World Headquarters, we’re always on the cutting edge of new developments in the asbestos abatement industry.  One of the latest intrigues in our business is a surge, uptick, and overall increase in people wanting to use Do-It-Yourself (DIY) home asbestos testing kits.

Ill-informed people (which doesn’t include regular readers of this space) are out there thinking they can save money using these home tests, which are available at some big-box home improvement stores.

These days, with the economy and inflation being what they are, you can understand anyone’s desire to save a few bucks.

Many also think they can get “just as good” a result using a DIY home test as they’d get by engaging the services of an asbestos testing professional.

And then there’s the safety factor.  “How hard could it be?” you can almost hear these ill-informed people saying, guessing that it isn’t all that dangerous to collect samples from materials they suspect might contain asbestos.

You can probably guess where we’re heading with this….

First, let’s look at the cost factor.  Yes, many of those test kits, which include some protective gear, instructions, and bags for the samples you’ll collect, are not too expensive.  But there are hidden costs.  (Aren’t there always?)

Once you collect your samples, you have to send them to a lab for testing, and the fee you’ll be charged for those tests can be eye-popping.

By the time you pay those lab fees (either separately, as detailed in your home test’s instructions, or “included,” which is a feature of the really expensive home tests), you may well find you haven’t saved any money at all.

Then there’s the accuracy of these tests.  The lab will probably test your sample accurately, but collecting the sample properly, so that the test CAN be accurate, is not as easy as you might think.  That’s why professional testers go to a lot of trouble to know how to do it right.

Imagine getting a home COVID test which gives a “maybe” result.  Or one that declares you aren’t sick, when you are!  And which ends up costing much more than you expected.

Finally, there’s the issue of safety.  When you dig into materials you suspect might include asbestos, even if you’re wearing your snazzy protective overalls and goggles, you run the risk of disturbing the asbestos and sending cancer-causing fibers into the air at your place.

Imagine getting a home COVID test which, while it may or may not tell you whether you are sick, could GIVE you COVID.

Imagine a home pregnancy test that could make you pregnant.

Okay, these might be extreme examples.  But why take a chance?  Especially if you’re not saving all that much (or even any) money… why not go ahead and hire a pro?

A house fire, plumbing problem, or bad DIY project can release dangerous asbestos particles into your air.  You’ll want to get the place tested… but if you’re thinking about using a home DIY asbestos test, you might want to think again.  Hire a professional tester.  We can refer you to a good one (we don’t do the testing ourselves, since it’s a conflict of interest).  And, whatever you have to spend, it’s worth having asbestos-free air, and not having to worry about contracting a disease that can’t be cured.