By 
Roofs are generally easy and not that complicated to clean. Especially if you’re hiring professionals to water blast the moss and rainwater stains that accumulated on the roof. But if you have an asbestos cement roof, it might be a different story.
Is your patio made with asbestos? If yes, it is not something to mess with. And the last thing you want to do is to water blast it.
If you do this, you are also exposing yourself, your family, and the entire neighborhood to numerous health risks.
What happens if your water blast the asbestos-filled roof?
If you apply any kind of pressure to your asbestos roof or any asbestos-filled area of the house, it will be broken into large clumps. When that happens, asbestos dust particles will be released into the air. These microdust particles, when inhaled, can cause several diseases and infections.
These complications affect mostly the lungs and below are only some of those diseases:
Lung cancer – believe it or not, you can get lung cancer even if you’re not a chain-smoker. And you got asbestos dust to blame. The inhaled particles will eventually settle in your lung tissues and cause cellular and genetic damage.
The damaged tissues may or may not develop into cancerous cells.
Asbestosis – this disease is defined as the scarring of your lungs due to the inhalation of asbestos dust. Once you’ve scarred your lungs, this will automatically result in difficulty in breathing that you may carry for the rest of your life.
Mesothelioma – it’s another form of cancer. This time, it only occurs on the linings of the lungs, chest, heart, and abdomen. Once you get this disease, chest pains and difficulty in breathing are most likely to happen.
Unfortunately, patients with mesothelioma are given by doctors only 12 months to live.
Water blasting asbestos is illegal
Believe it or not, by law, you can’t really water blast asbestos. Even if it’s within the premises of your own home.
According to the EPA or Environment Protection Authority, the breaking down of asbestos itself is a pollution incident and an illegal activity. So if you try to tear down your asbestos wall or water blast your asbestos roof, you’re technically committing a crime.
If you suspect your house of asbestos presence, you must alert your local council. Once you’ve notified them, they’ll issue an order of investigation to be conducted by an asbestos inspection company.
After that, a removal company will have to take over and remove all the asbestos in your house.
If you fail to comply with the local council’s order, you can be fined.
What you can do so that this won’t happen
Everything that we’ve just mentioned is easily preventable. You don’t have to go through all the hassle if you’ve done proper research before buying or renting a house.
When searching for a house, especially if it’s built during the 70s or 80s, look for an asbestos audit or register. You can also ask the landlady or the original homeowner regarding your concern.
It would be best if you’ll find a house with no asbestos presence at all. But if you don’t have any choice, and you end up getting a property filled with asbestos, just do your homework. Ask which parts of the house are made with asbestos so you would know what not to touch.
On the other hand, if you plan to remove the harmful material completely, have it inspected first by legitimate inspection companies. Then have it removed by a separate asbestos removal company. If you found this piece useful, go ahead and check out more @ greenlightservices.com.au.
These services may cost you an arm and a leg, but it’s nothing compared to the health risks that asbestos can bring to your family. Whether it be any corner in your house or your beloved plant shelves with lots of plants, asbestos can collect anywhere, so beware.
Comments