If you suspect that you have asbestos in your home, there are two main ways you can check for it — you can take your own sample and send it to a lab, or you can hire a professional inspector to come check out your property. In the right situation, both of these approaches can work, but you may want to consider working with a professional for the following reasons.

1. To Avoid Coming in Contact With Asbestos

If you test your home and you don't find any asbestos, that's great. However, if the tests come back positive, that means that you were exposing yourself to asbestos while doing the testing. Even a few minutes of exposure have been known to cause illness in some cases.

Professionals have the right safety gear and experience to keep themselves safe while testing your property for asbestos.

2. So You Don't Overlook Any Areas

People think of asbestos as being in insulation and vinyl flooring, but it can actually be in all kinds of other building materials as well. That includes cement sheets, pipes, vents and other places. Unfortunately, if you've never tested for asbestos before, it can be very easy to overlook key areas.

If you forget to test the area that has the asbestos, the fibres may be released around your home. Professionals, in contrast, know how to do a comprehensive check of the entire home.

3. To Save Time

Testing for asbestos on your own can be time consuming. Many kits come with a plastic sheet that you lay on the floor near where you believe the asbestos is. Then, you turn off the air conditioner or close the vents in that area to prevent small dust and asbestos fibres from blowing around.

Some kits instruct you to mist the plastic sheet with water. Then, you let this sit for a few days. When you come back, the water on the plastic should have captured any asbestos fibres. To ensure they are asbestos fibres, you cut off a bit of the plastic sheeting, wrap up the bundle of fibres and send it all to the lab.

In contrast, when you hire a professional, they take care of the work, and you can focus on your life. Some asbestos professionals can even get their lab results back faster, as they may have a professional, long-term relationship with a lab.To learn more contact a professional asbestos tester today.