Markham is mostly a city of newer subdivisions, but its heritage districts tell a different story. Markham Village, Unionville, Thornhill and Buttonville hold many of the city’s oldest homes, and older houses are where asbestos-containing materials are most likely to turn up: in plaster and textured ceilings, old flooring, pipe and duct wrap, and vermiculite attic insulation. If you are buying, renovating or adding on to an older home in one of these districts, asbestos testing tells you what you are working with before anything gets cut, sanded or removed. At Golden Home Inspections we test for asbestos and vermiculite as part of our home hazard testing in Markham, with samples analysed by an accredited lab. Call 647-704-7100 to book.
Yama Nehan is a Certified and Registered Home Inspector with about 15 years of home inspection experience and a construction engineering degree from George Brown (Building Renovations). He is also a licensed contractor with about 20 years of construction experience and the owner of Nehan Construction. That practical construction experience is one of the main reasons clients pick him: he knows where older builders used asbestos products and which renovation steps tend to disturb them. Yama Nehan is the only one trusted to do the inspections himself, and Golden Home Inspections reports on the home’s condition; it does not use the inspection to sell repairs.
Key takeaways
- Markham has four heritage conservation districts: Thornhill, Markham Village, Unionville and Buttonville. The Thornhill district was adopted in 1986.
- Older homes in these districts are the Markham homes most likely to contain asbestos materials, especially where earlier renovations added mid-century finishes.
- Asbestos materials that are intact and left alone are generally not a concern; the issue is fibres released when they are damaged or disturbed.
- Test before you renovate, not partway through. Sampling suspect materials first lets you plan the work and the budget.
- Our step-by-step process below shows what asbestos testing in Markham involves, from the walkthrough to the lab results.
Why does asbestos testing matter in Markham’s heritage districts?
Because that is where Markham’s older housing is concentrated. The City of Markham lists four heritage conservation districts: Thornhill, Markham Village, Unionville and Buttonville, and the Thornhill district was adopted back in 1986. Many homes in and around these districts have been updated several times over their lives, and the finishes, insulation and mechanical systems added along the way can include materials made with asbestos. Asbestos was widely used in Canadian building products for decades before it was banned, so the age of a home and the age of its renovations both matter. Our home hazard testing page for Toronto and the GTA explains which tests suit which homes.
What does asbestos testing in Markham involve, step by step?
Step 1: Tell us about the home and your plans
We start with a call. Is it a purchase, a kitchen or bathroom renovation, an addition, a basement finish or attic work? Knowing what will be disturbed tells us which materials matter most, so the testing is focused on your project rather than the whole house.
Step 2: Walkthrough of suspect materials
Yama walks the home and notes materials that could contain asbestos, using his construction background to spot finishes from different eras. You can’t confirm asbestos by looking at a material, so this step is about deciding what is worth sampling.
Step 3: Sampling the materials that matter
Suspect materials in the areas you plan to work on are sampled and labelled. Sampling is kept to what your project needs, and the areas are left tidy.
Step 4: Accredited lab analysis
Samples are sent to an accredited lab, which identifies whether asbestos is present and what type. Lab analysis is the only way to confirm it.
Step 5: Plain-language results
We explain what came back, material by material, and what it means for your plans. If a material that will be disturbed contains asbestos, Ontario has rules for how that work is done, and removal is a job for a qualified asbestos abatement contractor. If results are clear, you can plan the renovation with that knowledge.
Which materials do we commonly check in older Markham homes?
| Material | Where you might find it | When it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Vermiculite insulation | Attics and between wall cavities | Attic upgrades, adding pot lights, roof work |
| Textured or stippled ceilings | Living rooms, bedrooms, hallways | Ceiling removal, drywall repair, new lighting |
| Plaster and older drywall joint compound | Walls and ceilings | Opening walls for kitchens, bathrooms or additions |
| Vinyl floor tiles and sheet flooring, plus adhesive | Kitchens, basements, bathrooms | Flooring replacement |
| Pipe, duct and boiler insulation | Basements and mechanical rooms | Furnace or boiler replacement, ductwork changes |
| Exterior cladding and roofing products | Siding, soffits, older roofing | Exterior work, which in a heritage district may also need City heritage review |
Should I test before applying for heritage approval?
It is a good idea to test early. If your property is in one of Markham’s heritage conservation districts, exterior changes usually go through the City’s heritage review, so check with the City of Markham’s heritage staff about what your project needs. Asbestos testing is a separate question from heritage approval, but knowing early which materials contain asbestos helps you plan the scope, the order of work and the budget before drawings are finalised.
A situation we often see
A buyer or owner plans to open up a kitchen or finish an attic in an older home, and the house has layers from different decades: an original structure, a mid-century renovation, and newer finishes on top. Nobody is sure what is under the newer layers. Testing the materials that the project will actually disturb answers that question before the contractor starts, instead of stopping work midway.
What affects the cost of asbestos testing in Markham?
Cost mainly depends on how many materials need samples, how many areas of the home are involved, and whether you combine asbestos testing with vermiculite testing, radon testing or a home inspection in Markham. The final price depends on the home, so call us for a quote.
Frequently asked questions
Is every older home in Unionville or Markham Village going to have asbestos?
No. Many older homes have no asbestos materials, or have had them removed. The only way to know is to sample suspect materials and have them analysed by a lab.
Is asbestos dangerous if I leave it alone?
Health Canada notes that asbestos materials in good condition that are not disturbed are generally not a concern. The concern is airborne fibres released when materials are damaged, cut, sanded or removed, which is why testing before renovation matters.
Can I test for asbestos during a home purchase?
Yes. Asbestos sampling can be booked alongside a home inspection, so you get the home’s condition and the lab results on suspect materials from the same inspector.
Do newer Markham subdivisions need asbestos testing?
Asbestos testing is mainly for older homes and older renovations. For any home, new or old, radon is the hazard test that applies, because it comes from the ground.
Planning work on an older home in Thornhill, Unionville, Markham Village or Buttonville? Call 647-704-7100 or email contact@goldenhomeinspections.ca to book asbestos testing with Golden Home Inspections, based in Toronto, Ontario. Hours are 9 AM–8 PM, seven days. You can also read our guide to renovation mistakes to avoid with asbestos in older Pickering homes.
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