In 2018, 750 metric tons of asbestos were imported into the U.S. More than 50 countries have banned the use of asbestos in any form, including the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada. In the U.S., however, asbestos is still legal in certain use cases — despite well-known health dangers.

Over the course of many years, asbestos was used abundantly in the construction of residential, retail and commercial buildings. It is fire-resistant and cheap to manufacture, which made it such a popular material. As time went on, the health hazards of asbestos were discovered.

Dealing with asbestos in older structures is challenging work, but at Matrix Environmental, we make sure the job is done properly and safely. When it comes to asbestos abatement, there are several different methods that can be considered depending on the structure and various other important factors. Essentially, there are three different services that can be performed: encapsulation, removal or demolition. Let’s take a look at the differences between these three options.

Asbestos is a hazardous material that was widely used in many different building materials for decades. It was inexpensive, yet effective. However, it wasn’t until later that people realized how harmful (in some cases, deadly) asbestos was. Unfortunately, it is still found in many older buildings and structures, often in the insulation or drywall.

Ever since our opening in 1994, we at Matrix Environmental pride ourselves on being a top asbestos abatement company in Southern California. In fact, our founder, Larry Larkin, was one of the pioneers in the asbestos abatement industry in the 1980s and this experience has been crucial to our company’s growth in this specialized field.