Asbestos Testing Toronto
Asbestos testing Toronto owners arrange before a renovation, repair or demolition tells you what a material is made of before anyone disturbs it.
Fully licensed and insured
Monday to Sunday: Open 24 hours
Why test
Looking at a floor tile or a ceiling texture cannot tell you whether it contains asbestos. Analysis can. Under Ontario's asbestos regulation for construction projects, O. Reg. 278/05, material counts as asbestos-containing when it contains 0.5 per cent or more asbestos by dry weight, and the regulation's required method for establishing asbestos content refers to the U.S. EPA bulk sampling method listed in section 3.
For an owner planning work, an answer in advance helps in two ways. It tells you whether the job needs asbestos controls, and it gives the contractor the information they need to price and plan the work.
How sampling works
- VisitWe identify the materials the planned work would touch.
- SamplingSmall samples are taken in a way that limits disturbance.
- Laboratory analysisSamples are submitted to an accredited laboratory.
- ReportWe explain the result and what it means for your project.
What the regulation expects of owners
Section 10 of O. Reg. 278/05 requires an owner, before requesting tenders or arranging for demolition, alteration or repair work, to have an examination carried out to establish whether materials likely to be disturbed are asbestos-containing, unless the owner already knows the answer or has the work arranged as though the material were asbestos-containing. Section 2(4) states that the regulation does not apply to the owner of a private residence occupied by the owner or the owner's family. This is general information about the regulation, not legal advice, and your own situation should be confirmed with the Ministry of Labour or a lawyer.
Before you call a contractor for other work
If you are hiring a plumber, flooring installer or electrician for a job in an older house, mention that suspect materials may be present and ask whether they have tested. A hole cut in a ceiling or a tile lifted from a floor may be enough to release fibres. Testing before the work is far easier than stopping a job in progress.
It also helps to gather what you know about the age of the house and past renovations. Records of earlier work, even informal ones, can narrow down which materials are original and which are newer.
What samples are taken from, and how
Samples are small and taken from the specific material in question: a corner of floor tile, a core of plaster, a patch of ceiling texture, a length of pipe wrap. The area is dampened to keep dust down, the sample is sealed in a labelled bag and the spot is patched. A laboratory examines it and reports whether asbestos is present and in what percentage. Different layers, such as tile and the adhesive beneath it, may need separate samples.
Testing questions
How long do results take?
It depends on the laboratory and the turnaround you select. We tell you when we submit the samples.
Do you test for other hazards?
We also handle lead abatement and mould assessment on projects where those hazards appear together with asbestos.
Request a quote
Tell us what you need and we will get back to you. In a hurry? Calling is fastest.