Asbestos Testing & Removal in Downtown & Old Toronto
Downtown is mostly condo work for us, from a burst riser on the fortieth floor to water coming through into the unit below.
Old Toronto is Victorian and Edwardian semis through the older neighbourhoods, and a dense band of condo towers through the core and along the waterfront.
In the towers it is burst risers, failed in-suite shut-offs and appliance hoses. In the older housing it is century-old drains, below-grade apartments and basements that were dug out after the house was built.
Asbestos was used in Ontario homes into the 1980s and is still present in a great many of them. It is not a hazard while it is sealed and undisturbed. It becomes one the moment somebody starts renovating, or when water damage forces material to be removed.
Covered by insurance? We bill your insurer directly, so in most cases you pay only your deductible.
Where we work in Downtown & Old Toronto
We cover the whole of Downtown & Old Toronto, including The Beaches, Riverdale, Leslieville, The Annex and every neighbourhood in between. Postal areas M4E, M4K, M4L, M4M, M4N, M4P and others.
Full neighbourhood list (19)
Where we usually find it
- Vermiculite attic insulation, often sold as Zonolite
- Popcorn and textured ceiling finishes
- Pipe and duct wrap insulation
- Nine-inch and twelve-inch vinyl floor tile and the black adhesive beneath
- Drywall joint compound in older builds
- Cement board, shingles and siding
- Around old boilers and furnaces
What the job includes
- Sampling and accredited laboratory analysis
- Classification of the work as Type 1, 2 or 3 under O. Reg. 278/05
- Notification to the Ministry where the regulation requires it
- Containment, negative air and decontamination units as required
- Removal by trained workers with the correct protective equipment
- Disposal at a licensed receiving facility with manifests
- Clearance air sampling before the area is released
- Reinstatement of insulation, ceilings or flooring afterwards
Who we do this for
- Homeowners renovating an older property
- Buyers whose inspection found vermiculite
- Contractors who uncovered suspect material
- Landlords and property managers
- Commercial and institutional buildings
When to call us in Downtown & Old Toronto
Before any demolition or renovation in a building constructed before about 1990, and immediately if suspect material has already been disturbed. Stop work, leave the area sealed, and have it tested.
What asbestos testing & removal in Downtown & Old Toronto costs you
We bill your insurance company directly. On most covered losses that is the only amount you pay us.
Water damage is the most common home insurance claim in Ontario, and the great majority of the work we do is paid by an insurer rather than by the property owner. We document every loss from the first hour with moisture readings, photographs and a written scope, which is the evidence an adjuster needs to approve the work without argument or delay.
We work with all major Canadian insurers and handle the claim from start to finish, including the adjuster's questions. If you are not insured, or the loss falls outside your policy, we will give you a clear written quote before any work begins and we will tell you honestly what can be dried and saved rather than replaced. Keeping material in place is what keeps the cost down, and it is the first thing we look at.
There is no charge for attending to assess an emergency, and no obligation once we have. What your policy covers →
Who turns up in Downtown & Old Toronto
Delta24 Restoration is a professional restoration contractor serving Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. Our technicians are certified by the IICRC, the industry standards body for the restoration trade, in Water Damage Restoration (WRT) and Applied Structural Drying (ASD). We are WSIB cleared and carry full commercial general liability insurance. Certificate numbers and a current clearance certificate are provided on request, and property managers and adjusters routinely ask for both before we attend.
We work to the IICRC S500 standard for water damage restoration and the S520 standard for mould remediation. Every job is documented with daily moisture readings, photographs and a written scope, which is why adjusters approve our work without delay.
Asbestos work is carried out to Ontario Regulation 278/05, which sets out the procedures for Type 1, Type 2 and Type 3 operations. Mould work finishes with written post-remediation verification, which is the document a buyer, a lender or an insurer will ask to see.
- IICRC WRT certified technicians
- IICRC ASD certified drying
- WSIB cleared, certificate on request
- Commercial general liability insurance
- Asbestos work to O. Reg. 278/05
- Direct billing with all major Canadian insurers
- Years of insurance claim experience with every major insurer
- Written post-remediation verification on mould work
- Free assessment, no obligation
How the insurance side works
Water damage is the most common home insurance claim in Ontario, and how the claim is handled usually matters more to your bill than the work itself. We document the loss from the first hour: moisture readings, photographs, a written scope, and a daily drying log. That is the evidence an adjuster needs to approve the work without arguing about it.
We bill your insurer directly. In most cases the only money you hand over is your deductible, which on Ontario policies commonly sits between $500 and $2,500.
Which losses are covered depends entirely on where the water came from. A burst pipe or a failed appliance is normally covered under a standard policy. Water coming up through a floor drain is sewer backup, which is almost always a separate endorsement you have to have purchased. Water entering from outside during heavy rain is overland flood, which is another endorsement again. A single storm can produce all three at once, which is why adjusters care so much about the source.
Full guide: is a flooded basement covered by insurance? →
How the claim works, and what your insurer covers →
Common questions
Do you work in downtown condo buildings?
Yes, and it is a large share of what we do downtown. We coordinate with concierge and property management, protect the common elements and document each affected unit separately for its own insurer.
My Victorian semi has a dug-out basement. Does that change things?
It often does. Underpinned and benched basements behave differently when they take on water, and the waterproofing detail at the footing matters. We will tell you what we find rather than guess.
How do I know if I have asbestos?
You cannot tell by looking. It has to be sampled and analysed by a laboratory. If a building predates 1990 and you are planning to disturb the material, test first.
Is vermiculite insulation always asbestos?
Not always, but a large share of vermiculite sold in Canada came from a mine with naturally occurring asbestos contamination. It should be treated as containing asbestos until testing shows otherwise, and left undisturbed in the meantime.
What will asbestos removal cost me?
It depends entirely on whether the work is classed Type 1, Type 2 or Type 3 under Ontario Regulation 278/05, and that is decided by laboratory testing rather than a guess. We test first, then quote against a defined scope. Where asbestos is uncovered during a covered water loss, the removal often forms part of that claim.
Is asbestos removal covered by insurance?
Usually only where it forms part of a covered loss, for example when a flood requires removal of material that turns out to contain asbestos. Removal for renovation is normally an owner cost.