Professional asbestos testers or environmental consultants are the best people to call to test for asbestos. An asbestos testing company specializes in collecting and analyzing samples and will be the most qualified to do the job for you. An environmental consultant may not specialize in handling asbestos, but should still have the knowledge and know-how to safely collect a sample and send it off for analysis.

The microscopic asbestos fibers do not cause eye irritation, throat irritation, or lung irritation. If you are inhaling fibers, you will not know it. This lack of immediate symptoms is one of the reasons why asbestos is so dangerous. You cannot know for certain if you are inhaling fibers, which is why you must wear safety gear if you could have any chance of an exposure while working.

When asbestos fibers become airborne, they enter a person's respiratory system. These fibers scar and damage the lungs and often lead to serious cancers like mesothelioma. Like many dangers in the house, asbestos isn’t easy to see when it could be causing serious damage. The amount of time exposed, combined with the person’s tolerance for asbestos inhalation and the amount inhaled, will all contribute to health problems.

Asbestos is commonly found in certain older homes, depending on the time period in which they were built. Asbestos use in home construction began in the 1920s and peaked after World War II before being limited by legislation in the ’70s, so a house constructed in 1880 is unlikely to contain asbestos, while one built in 1950 is much more likely to. Research a home’s history to determine the time period when it was built and any renovations made since.