Frequently asked questions.

WHY SHOULD YOU TEST PRIOR TO DEMOLITION/CONSTRUCTION?

Safety comes first in any construction project. But the price can be steep when you don’t perform environmental tests during the pre-construction phase. The biggest concern isn’t that your site has issues—it’s ensuring you take the time to identify and address them before breaking ground.

WHY DO PRE-CONSTRUCTION ENVIRONMENTAL TESTING & INSPECTION?

Environmental inspections are less costly than you might assume when you include them in your construction plan. A battery of tests tailored to your specific site and construction project can help you figure out how hard it’ll be to follow local regulations. Performing these tests before breaking ground goes a long way to ensuring the crew recognizes essential environmental requirements during construction.

Accurate specifications help work crews finish the job faster and within budget.

Certified inspectors help you stay current with ever-changing environmental regulations.

Give contractors the information they need to do the job right the first time.

Create more accurate, higher-quality bids to attract capable contractors.

Environmental inspection paperwork can protect you from legal claims.

Asbestos

  • Surprisingly, it hasn’t been fully banned in the United States, however, several products were banned under the Asbestos Ban and Phase-Out Rule (ABPR) on July 12, 1989, by the EPA. The final Asbestos Partial Ban was in April 2019. Follow this link for a full list.

  • You cannot tell if your house has asbestos just by looking, you will need to have each homogeneous material in your home sampled and analyzed by a laboratory.

  • APS recommends testing your home for asbestos before any home improvements or repairs regardless of the year it was built, however, industry standard says that if your home was built in 1986 or older, you should have your home tested for asbestos. NOTE: Some Air Quality Management Districts require testing for homes regardless of what year they are built.

  • The EPA requires all commercial, industrial, and public use properties to be tested for asbestos regardless of the year it was built.

  • If the asbestos is in good condition and not disturbed there should be no direct hazard.

  • Asbestos exposure can occur in a variety of ways including demolition work, home maintenance and remodeling, or being around any environment that contains asbestos that is being disturbed.

  • Asbestos becomes a risk when it is inhaled into the lungs. This can happen when asbestos containing materials are crushed or pulverized releasing fibers in the air. The risk of damage is increased by several factors including how much and how long you were exposed for, the age and smoking habits of the person, how long since you were exposed and the type of fibers you inhaled. Long term exposure gives the highest risk of developing health issues.

lead

  • You will need to test each painted surface in your home to verify whether the paint contains lead or not. There are a few options to test for lead paint; you can use test kits purchased from your local hardware store, send a paint sample to a lab or have a company like APS come and test the areas for you.

  • Lead Paint becomes dangerous when it is in an unstable condition that can produce lead dust and/or paint chips. These can be easily ingested and cause major health issues.

  • Yes, Lead Based Paint (LBP) was banned in 1978 for residential use, however, LBP is still used in applications outside of residential use.

  • It’s easy to think that if you can’t see it, you can’t smell it, and you can’t taste it, there isn’t a chemical contamination issue in your home, school, or place of business. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. If you are concerned about whether you and your loved ones are exposed to lead and other toxic substances, Benchmark Environmental Engineering can safely test your home or office in the San Jose, CA area.

    But who is most at risk for lead poisoning, and how can you tell when it’s time to test?

    KEEPING CHILDREN, SENIORS & PREGNANT WOMEN SAFE

    Children, seniors, pregnant women, and people with compromised immune systems are at the highest risk of being poisoned by lead, even if they are only exposed to a small amount. To make matters worse, low levels of lead can severely interfere with critical periods of brain development in young children and unborn babies, which is why it’s imperative to get your home tested if you already have kids or are pregnant or breastfeeding.

    That being said, lead poisoning can affect anyone, regardless of age—even healthy adults can suffer serious health consequences from acute and long-term exposure to heavy metals.

  • The effects of lead exposure can vary depending on your age, health, how much lead you have been exposed to, and how long the exposure was. Acute poisoning and long-term exposure are both dangerous, as they put you and your family at risk of a wide range of severe health issues, including:

    • Anemia

    • High Blood Pressure

    • Kidney Damage

    • Male & Female Infertility

    • Miscarriages, Stillbirths, & Birth Defects

    • Brain & Nervous System Damage

    • Learning Difficulties & Behavioral Problems (In Children)

    • Seizures, Comas, & Death

  • Even if your house is relatively new, it is still possible for your water supply to contain toxic substances if nearby dwellings or industrial buildings still have lead pipes. Thus, you may consider contacting your local water authority to determine whether you live in an at-risk neighborhood. Since it is impossible to see, smell, or taste lead in your water, it’s vital to get your home tested if it is old or the regional water authority recommends it.

  • Lowered IQ • Damage to the brain and nervous system • Learning and behavioral difficulties • Slowed growth • Hearing problems • Headaches

  • Reproductive problems (in both men and women) • High blood pressure and hypertension • Nerve disorders • Memory and concentration problems • Muscle and joint pain

    For more information regarding health effects, please visit:

    https://www.epa.gov/lead/learn-about-lead#effects.

mold

  • Mold can grow on almost any surface as long as moisture is present. This includes paper and wood products, fiberboard, drywall, carpet backing, ceiling tiles, insulation, fabric, upholstery paper, dust, wood, paints, and exposed soils.

  • No. Although mold will become inactive during periods of dryness, it will quickly reactivate and begin to grow again once moisture is reintroduced.

  • Open windows and provide proper ventilation to your home, keep humidity levels low (between 40-50%), fix all leaks in your roof and walls, keep your bathroom clean and well ventilated and remove soaked carpets that cannot be dried promptly.

  • For simple mold growth on bath or shower tile, mold-killing cleaning products can be used. However, for mold growth on or inside walls, ceilings, floorings and other areas, professional inspection and abatement services are recommended.

  • If you rent your home or apartment, contact your landlord or property manager immediately and report the problem. If you own your home, contact a professional inspection company to investigate your mold intrusion.