asbestos: a naturally occurring mineral with high heat resistance and insulating properties. As it is known to cause mesothelioma cancer, its use is banned in most industrialized countries, and restricted in most others.
Inspecting for and testing of asbestos is outside the scope of a standard home inspection. As a result, when we discover material that appears to be asbestos during a home inspection, we issue the following recommendation:
Possible asbestos material has been observed during the inspection. Note: No official asbestos testing has been performed, this information is being provided as a courtesy for our client. In older structures there is a higher likelihood of the presence of asbestos materials.
Please be advised that structures built prior to 1989 have a higher likelihood of the presence of asbestos in construction materials, although much asbestos was removed from construction materials by the late 1970s. While no official asbestos inspection is performed during the standard home inspection, this information is being provided as a courtesy for our client. If this item is a concern for the client or anyone else involved in the transaction, further evaluation by a qualified professional is recommended prior to the end of the inspection period.