Residential Environmental Testing

Environmental Testing Services for Homeowners in San Jose

We know that as a residential property owner, making your home or the home of your tenants a safe place to live is of the utmost importance. To this end, in San Jose and in all of California, strict asbestos testing laws make sure that this very common yet very dangerous material is kept at bay during residential demolition, remodels, or repairs.

Asbestos is a set of naturally-occurring fibers that was often used in the manufacture of home construction materials between 1920 and 1980 because of its fire, water, and noise retardant properties and inexpensive price. Today we know that breathing in these incredibly small fibers, invisible to the naked eye, places you at serious risk for long-term health problems including mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis, which can take years or even decades to develop but have life-threatening consequences. Because of its severely negative effects on our health, asbestos is a highly restricted construction material in the United States today, but asbestos is still permitted in some construction materials and there is a significant portion of older or original homes in San Jose, the greater San Francisco Bay area, and across California that contain dangerous levels of asbestos, which is why testing for asbestos in your residential property is a critical aspect to keeping you safe.

Asbestos is typically inside the walls or floors of a home and its dangers are airborne, which means that it does not pose a significant threat to your health if left untouched. During planned demolition, home repair, or remodeling work, however, or after your home suffers damage from an accident or natural disaster, asbestos particles in your home can be released, making it unsafe and legally uninhabitable. Thankfully, asbestos testing for homeowners so that removal or remediation can take place is a relatively simple and straightforward process.

Testing for Residential Asbestos

Regardless of the age of your home, residential asbestos testing is a required prerequisite to receiving a permit for any residential demolition or renovation plans. For your safety and peace of mind, Reed Environmental Services also recommends testing for asbestos any time your home survives a natural disaster or undergoes repairs, even if those repairs are minor enough that you aren't required to obtain a permit from the city of San Jose for work to be done. In California, both state and local laws require that testing for asbestos be performed by a qualified, licensed, certified asbestos consultant (CAC) like Reed Environmental Services.

When testing for asbestos in your home, Reed Environmental Services utilizes lab technicians with extensive construction experience to remove small samples of potential asbestos sites like flooring, ceiling tiles, insulation, exterior walls, and window sills in a minimally-invasive way. Small instruments are then inserted into the tiny holes left from this removal process for an immediate visual inspection and official results of the presence (or lack) of asbestos is confirmed after the collected samples are sent to an accredited laboratory and analyzed for asbestos fibers. For the safety and security of you and your family, residential contractors, asbestos remediation teams, and general public health, Reed Environmental Services can also provide additional asbestos and environmental consulting services like air sampling (an important part of ongoing asbestos removal or remediation projects) and soil or water testing (generally used to verify that asbestos-ridden materials were not illegally disposed of near your home during the building, remodel, or remediation process).

All residential asbestos testing services provided by Reed Environmental Services are performed in accordance to EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) guidelines and final reports and surveys are 100% certified to meet San Jose and other local and national legal requirements so you can quickly gain the approval you need to begin your residential construction or renovation project, or gain the end-of-project asbestos removal verification you need once asbestos remediation has taken place.

Contact Reed Environmental Services to discuss your particular residential asbestos testing requirements and obligations or to get a no-obligation quote for any of our San Jose residential asbestos testing services.