Question 1

Planning a basement reno in a 1960s Calgary house, test for asbestos first?

Accepted Answer

Yes, test before you touch anything. A 1960s Calgary home falls squarely in the pre-1990 window identified by Alberta OHS bulletin ASB004, meaning there is a higher risk that some materials used in its construction may contain asbestos.

In a basement renovation, the materials worth testing before work begins include drywall joint compound, plaster, vinyl floor tiles, vinyl sheet flooring, pipe insulation, mechanical insulation, and any stippled or acoustic finishes on ceilings or walls. The Alb

Question 2

Kitchen gut in a Killarney home, what should be tested first?

Accepted Answer

If your Killarney home was built before 1990, Alberta OHS bulletin ASB004 says there is a higher risk that some materials used in its construction may contain asbestos. Get a hazardous materials assessment done before any demolition work begins, not after.

What to have tested in a kitchen gut

A pre-renovation survey covers the materials the gut will disturb. In a kitchen, those include:

- Drywall joint compound and plaster (the Alberta Asbestos Abatement Manual adds stipple and acoustic fini

Question 3

Can my Calgary contractor keep working near asbestos in another room?

Accepted Answer

It depends on whether the work will disturb the material. Alberta's OHS Code says that when a building is being altered or renovated, the employer must ensure that materials in the area of the alterations that could release asbestos fibres are encapsulated, enclosed or removed. A general contractor running a crew in an adjacent room is still an employer bound by those rules, and the Code says a building is in an unsafe condition if fibres may be released anywhere in it.

Here is what the rules a

Question 4

Adding a basement suite in Calgary, asbestos testing needed?

Accepted Answer

If your home was built before 1990, testing before you start is the practical way to complete the City of Calgary's permit paperwork. The City's Asbestos Abatement Information Form must be submitted before a building permit is released for renovation work, and the applicant must declare either that no asbestos-containing materials are present in the project area, or that any such materials have already been removed and disposed of properly.

To make that declaration honestly, you need bulk sampl

Renovation & Demolition

Planning a basement reno in a 1960s Calgary house, test for asbestos first?

Kitchen gut in a Killarney home, what should be tested first?

Can my Calgary contractor keep working near asbestos in another room?

Adding a basement suite in Calgary, asbestos testing needed?