At one time, asbestos was a very popular component of many building materials because:
- Asbestos is fireproof, and provides excellent insulation against heat and sound.
- It’s also an electrical insulator, is resistant to chemicals, and has high tensile strength.
- Asbestos can be woven like cloth or mixed with other materials and molded into shapes.
What asbestos products might I find in my home?
The unique properties of asbestos can’t be duplicated by any other commonly available material. Therefore, asbestos found its way into such common building products as:
Pipe insulation. At one time, asbestos coatings or blankets were used on hot water or steam pipes, or heater exhaust vents for heat insulation.
Furnaces. Asbestos was once used for gaskets on oil- and coal-fired furnaces, and as heat insulation in a variety of home heating units.
Fireproofing. The walls and floors around wood burning stoves were sometimes protected with panels made of asbestos paper, fiberboard or cement.
Shingles. Popular because they were fireproof, asbestos cement shingles were used on roofs and as siding.
Wall and ceiling insulation. Before its use was discontinued in the 1950s, many types of wall and ceiling insulation contained asbestos.
Wall patching materials. Until banned in 1977, compounds for covering joints in wallboard or making repairs to walls and ceilings, and even some textured paints sometimes contained asbestos.
Acoustic insulation. Spray-on materials such as those used for pop-corn ceilings sometimes contained asbestos.
Flooring. Many types of vinyl asbestos, rubber, and asphalt floor tiles, as well as the backing on vinyl sheet flooring had asbestos added to make them stronger and longer wearing. Asbestos was also added to flooring adhesives.
Miscellaneous household products. Fireproof gloves or pads used for ironing boards or stovetops were often woven from asbestos. Fake embers for gas fireplaces were once made of asbestos, and hand-held hair dryers typically contained asbestos insulation inside them until banned by the Consumer Product Safety Commission in 1979.
What are the risks to my family and me?
The good news is that in the majority of cases, simply having these materials in your home presents no health risk whatsoever.
- Asbestos is a health risk only after prolonged and/or heavy exposure to airborne fibers. Isolated, incidental, short-term exposure is not sufficient to cause any noticeable health effect.
- The majority of the asbestos products found in older homes are intact and not releasing asbestos fibers into the air.
What do I do about asbestos in my home?
Unless the product is labeled, you won’t know for certain if it contains asbestos. But in most cases, you won’t need to know with certainty what products in your home actually contain asbestos.
- If you think it might contain asbestos, assume it does.
- If the material is intact and not deteriorating so as to potentially release fibers, it is not a risk.
- Avoid handling, sawing, cutting, drilling, or otherwise disturbing the material so as not to release fibers into the air.
If disturbing materials that may potentially contain asbestos is unavoidable, or if the material is deteriorating, contact a licensed contractor who is certified to perform asbestos inspections to determine your best course of action.
A certified contractor can:
- Safely take material samples for laboratory testing
- Advise whether the material can be safely encapsulated to avoid the hazards associated with removal
- Remove the material in a safe and approved manner if removal is necessary.
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