• Shut down any heating or cooling systems to minimize the spread of any released fibers.
• Do not disturb the material any more than is needed to take a small sample.
• Wet the material using a fine mist of water containing a few drops of detergent before taking the sample. The water/detergent mist will reduce the possibility of releasing asbestos fibers.
• Carefully cut/scrape a piece from the entire depth of the material using, for example, a small knife, corer, or other sharp object.
• Cut/scrape only a small piece of the material. All materials can be grouped into two categories: friable, i.e. the material can be crushed into powder by hand, and nonfriable. These amounts are adequate for testing:

• Place the small piece into a clean container (for example, a ZipLock bag). Tightly seal the container after the sample is in it.
• Use a damp paper towel to clean up any material on the outside of the container or around the area sampled.
• Label the container with an ID number (for example, Sample #1)
• Submit the sample(s) for testing

• For acoustic ceiling (popcorn ceiling) material, three separate samples from different locations is strongly recommended if it covers more than 1,000 sq. ft.
• The mastic or glue/adhesive under floor tile is a separate sample and subject to a separate charge. If some mastic is attached to the tile, that's generally sufficient for testing. No need to scrape a separate mastic/adhesive sample.
• For Vermiculite insulation, collect at least one tablespoon instead of one teaspoon of material. Sample it from the floor of the attic or the bottom half of the wall cavity. Sampling more than one sample from the attic is recommended.
• For Dust and Soil/Dirt samples, please follow these instructions

• Place the container with the sample(s) in a suitable mailing envelope.
• Please fill out an electronic submittal form or a Printable Form: either the Html Submittal Form or the PDF Type-able Form to include with your sample(s).
• Enclose your payment (money order or a personal check) of $30 for one sample and $20 each per every  additional sample.
• If you prefer to pay by credit card, please follow this link for a secure online transaction.
• International customers should follow the credit card payment link above.
• Samples can be mailed in using the US postal service, FedEx, UPS, etc. or hand delivered. Our address is:

Western Analytical Laboratory
12734 Branford St., #19
Arleta, CA 91331

 

• We will have the results/ Test Report within 24 hours by email, fax or phone and, if you wish, by mail in two or three business days.