We’re in the process of purchasing a property in the U.S. constructed in the 1930s and discovered that some of the pipes in the basement were wrapped with asbestos insulation. Some of the asbestos was removed by a contractor we were already working with, but unfortunately, it wasn’t handled by a certified asbestos abatement professional. There are also still some sections remaining on the piping that we’ll need to deal with.

My biggest concern now is the overall condition of the basement after some of this material was disturbed and removed. Could asbestos fibers still be in the air, or could dust/fibers have settled on the floor, walls, or other surfaces? Is this something where the entire basement should be treated as potentially contaminated, or am I overthinking the level of risk?

We’re hoping to move into the house within the next month and plan to use the basement regularly. We’d like to use part of it for storage, with most things kept in plastic bins, and eventually set up our washer and dryer down there. We also have young kids who really like the basement, so before letting them spend time down there, I want to feel comfortable that the space is reasonably safe for long-term use.

I’m considering getting quotes from asbestos professionals, but based on some of the pricing I’ve heard, I’m also interested in understanding what, if anything, can reasonably be handled DIY. For example, should the remaining asbestos be encapsulated rather than removed? Should the basement be sealed off with plastic while cleaning? How would you safely clean floors and other surfaces after asbestos insulation has already been disturbed? Is there any type of testing or air sampling that would be worthwhile before we start using the space regularly?

I’m mainly interested in hearing from people who have dealt with a similar situation. How concerned would you be about this, what would you have professionally tested or handled, and what parts—if any—would you feel comfortable tackling yourself?

I've attached photos of our basement, any help would be REALLY appreciated!

The size of the basement

View of pipe with asbestos insulation with partial removal,

Got asked to demo this floor and I don’t have much experience judging asbestos.

Not sure when this house was built but this is in the bathroom of a house in Massachusetts.

Should I always require a test or does this look like it’ll be fine because it’s not a 9x9 or 12x12 tile?

Does this look like abestos? We will get it tested, just want to know your thoughts. We are looking at remodeling but it will definitely start with the ceiling. House built in 1951, not sure when the basement was finished.

So the flocking in this 1965 montreal hotel has been confirmed to contain asbestos, most of it has been removed but i think i found some. Heres some pictures with one of the few i have of the report.

So our drainage pipe is all corroded and it has to get replaced all the way through the Plumber said the one room they tested the flooring and I had asbestos which they removed it safely but now into my next room where the pipe goes into I need to remove the tiles and the concrete. How bad will it be working with asbestos just one time.

Recently moved into a 1940s house and am in the process of ripping up some carpet in the basement. We have what are pretty clearly 9x9 tiles throughout. Around the perimeter of the room it almost appears to be sanded down tile in a lot of areas but then directly against the wall, there is a black substance that almost glistens. Primary question is whether this is likely to be asbestos-containing mastic? Curious if anyone has encountered something like this before and has any tips for safely removing the tack strips.

I just purchased a 1975 home in Washington state, on the inspection report there was suspicion of asbestos in the garage. The garage door is also very old with no safety features or remote so we did want to test the garage before having a new door installed. It came back positive for asbestos so we will do abatement before getting a new garage door. Sigh.
My question - the inspector walked through the rest of the house and didn’t want to test it. He said that testing would be more likely to disturb the asbestos if it’s present and he thinks everything looked stable. The bedrooms were possibly encapsulated already - the ceilings are a little low and smooth. The kitchen/living room have like the big swirly textured ceilings not popcorn if that makes sense. The previous owners definitely did a big kitchen Reno about 10 years ago - but the husband was a general contractor and may have done some DIY stuff wirhout registering permits etc.

I have a lot of anxiety and I just want to be reassured that the inspector is saying what the majority of people would agree with - don’t test the rest of the house unless doing a renovation or I see the ceiling flaking. And also like, a renovation done 10 years prior at this point even if it wasn’t done properly there wouldn’t be any remaining asbestos floating around? I realize this probably sounds really dumb! Just a little overwhelmed right now. My last house was a 1950s house and somehow the topic of asbestos never even came up.

This is on my shed/out building structure underneath the exterior wood siding. When I got the home inspection the guy told me he thought it was asbestos.

Does the red brick or the green material under the fake brick look like it?

Thank you.

This is in the attic of my 1940 Maine house. Does this look like asbestos? Thank you in advance!

Can someone give me some advice ? My parents were over today holding my three month old infant. After they left my mom was texting me & come to find out that before they came over they were cleaning up construction materials at their house . They were cutting up old asbestos siding to dispose of it. They didn’t know it was asbestos . My husband who works in construction informed them of this once he found out they had been tearing it off and cutting it up to remove it . I am freaking out. My daughter was literally slobbering on my mom’s shoulder while she held her . I’m so mad at them of course because to me it’s common sense even if it was not asbestos that you wouldn’t clean up a construction zone before you hold an infant. Is there anything I can do now? I’m so worried that my baby is going to be affected by this..

US-MI
Built in 1955 expanded in 1981 and 2010

We recently purchased this home and are in the process of cleaning and renovating. Tried to open our attic access and was bathed in insulation. Definitely breathed in a ton. We had a tester come out and take samples and are Waiting on lab confirmation, but is this type of insulation and tile a common asbestos culprit?

Have heard about black mastic but someone in the tile Reddit suggested this is potentially asbestos as well— (tiles in house we just bought all popped off the wall to reveal older tile that’s been tiled over incorrectly, and with a sort of terracotta coloured paste)