If there’s one good thing that you could say about the global pandemic, it’s that it allowed us to add skills to our skillset without leaving the confines of our home. From baking to plant parenting, home renovations and so much more, we’ve all tried it. The past year is certainly the golden age of DIY.
But not all projects that concern your home must be DIY-ed. One great example is the removal of asbestos in your home.
Unbeknownst to many, asbestos is a very harmful material. It was first used during the 70s or 80s to fireproof house walls and columns and at the same time, serve as insulation.
Asbestos was certainly beneficial to every construction project back then. But now, this material that was left undisturbed for decades could pose a lot of health risks if you try to renovate your house. If you try to hammer it or use power drills on it, you could inhale asbestos microfibres. These specks of dust or powders, once inhaled, can result in several lung diseases.
That’s why if you think your house was built during the 70s or 80s, you better have it checked by professionals for asbestos presence. If you don’t and you start renovating your home by yourself, you can inhale the asbestos fibres and get these diseases:
1. Asbestosis
The dust that you could inhale unknowingly can result in scarring of your lungs. The scarring is called asbestosis. This disease can restrict your breathing so you will experience shortness of breathing most of the time.
Once this happens, you won’t be able to inhale enough oxygen that your body badly needs. If asbestosis is left unchecked or untreated, it can result in a much severe condition: cardiac failure.
2. Lung Cancer
Even if you’re not a smoker, you could still suffer from lung cancer. When you’ve inhaled a good amount of asbestos microfibres, these little particles can damage the tissues in your lungs and turn them into cancerous cells.
Everything could go south from there. So we highly suggest not to renovate your house until you’ve made sure that there’s no asbestos in your property at all.
3. Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a different and rare form of cancer. It’s a disease that occurs only on the linings of the heart, chest, lungs, and abdomen. Some of the symptoms that you’ll experience if you’re diagnosed with this are chest pains and shortness of breath.
But the worst thing about this condition is that doctors won’t be able to detect it until it starts spreading throughout the body. So by the time that you are diagnosed with this disease, the cancerous cells have already done significant damage to your body.
True enough, patients who have this form of cancer are given only 12 months to live.
So, should you DIY the asbestos removal?
Certainly not. Asbestos is something that everyone should take seriously. The harm that it can bring is pretty scary.
So if your house was built during the 70s or 80s, and you think that asbestos is present, you certainly need a residential asbestos inspection. It can help you minimise the risk of getting the diseases that we’ve mentioned above.
Certified inspectors from legit companies will inspect your house and will whip up an accurate report for you. This is where you get to decide whether you’re just going to leave it there and don’t make any renovations at all. Because essentially, asbestos is only harmful once you start breaking them down. Or you’re going to hire experts to remove them for you.
