Just went through asbestos abatement during our kitchen renovation in an East York home (1961 build) and wanted to document the experience since there’s a lot of fear around this topic and not much practical first-hand information.
The discovery: Opened up the floor under the vinyl tiles and found the 9x9" floor tiles common in 1960s construction underneath. Our renovator immediately flagged these as likely ACM (asbestos-containing material) and recommended testing before proceeding.
The testing process:
- Hired an environmental consultant ($350 for sample collection and lab analysis)
- Turned around results in 48 hours
- Result: Positive for chrysotile asbestos at 5% concentration in the tile and mastic adhesive
The abatement:
- Required an Ontario-licensed abatement contractor (not our general renovator)
- 3-day job for approximately 180 sq ft of tile
- Area sealed and negative pressure maintained during work
- Material removed in sealed bags to licensed disposal facility
- Clearance air test passed before area reopened
Cost: $4,200 all-in (abatement + disposal + clearance testing). This was not in our original renovation budget — we had to go back to our contingency.
What I’d tell other East York / Scarborough / North York homeowners: If your home is pre-1985 and you’re opening floors or walls, budget for the possibility of asbestos. The testing is cheap ($350). The abatement is manageable. Don’t skip the testing to save time — you can’t legally proceed with demo once suspected ACM is found without proper assessment.