If you have a fire or water emergency, please call us now at (262) 542-0900

To have the optimal experience while using this site, you will need to update your browser. You may want to try one of the following alternatives:

Fire & Water - Cleanup & Restoration

Homeowner Makes Mistake And Tries to Remove Asbestos Flooring Himself

11/13/2019 (Permalink)

Asbestos Containing Vinyl Flooring Partially Removed Incorrectly By Home Owner

After a leaking pipe in a dishwasher burst and flooded the kitchen and basement of a residence, an ambitious homeowner decided to remove wet floor tiles from his basement with an ice chipper.  This home owner did not think of the possibility of the tiles containing asbestos fibers.  After a friend saw what he was doing and informed him of the possibility of asbestos being disturbed, he contacted SERVPRO of SW Waukesha County.  The state certified asbestos inspector with SERVPRO of SW Waukesha County assessed the project and took a sample of materials to an accredited lab for analysis.  The floor tile turned out positive for chrysotile, the most common form of asbestos.  The home owner previously removed the flooring without containment or proper equipment and may have contaminated the entire home through the running HVAC system.  Unfortunately, the homeowner is now responsible for the cost to decontaminate equipment and the cost of an entire asbestos abatement throughout the affected area.  This could all have been avoided if he would have called a certified asbestos abatement company. 

If your home was built prior to 1990, and you have an original floor covering like vinyl, linoleum, floor tile, etc., it is highly recommended you have the flooring tested for asbestos before disturbing or removing the material. 

SERVPRO of Southwest Waukesha County is the only SERVPRO franchise in the state of Wisconsin that is certified to provide asbestos testing and abatement services.  Call us to discuss your possible asbestos concerns at 262-542-0900!

Other News

View Recent Posts