Asbestos in the Home

If you live in a home that's more than 40 years old, it could have some asbestos in it, somewhere. But there's no need to panic: If it's in good shape, leave it alone; if it's not, call a professional. Building materials and products made today do not have asbestos in them, but if you live in an older home — dating back to the 1970s or earlier — there is a good possibility that asbestos may have been used somewhere in its construction. 

For example, older homes may have asbestos in:

• Insulation blankets and tape around steam pipes, boilers, or heat ducts
• Asbestos roofing or siding
• Patching and joint compounds used on walls and ceilings
• Textured paints
• The backing of floor tiles or sheet flooring
• Cement board used as insulation around furnaces or wood burning stoves
• Wood and coal stove door gaskets
• Sprayed-on soundproofing or acoustic plaster
• Attic insulation, for houses insulated between 1930 and 1950

You can’t identify asbestos just by looking at it — a special microscope is required for that.

Asbestos: Leaving Well Enough Alone

 

If you have asbestos in your home, don't be unduly alarmed. If the material has not deteriorated, then it is probably not a threat for mesothelioma and other health problems, and you can safely leave it alone. In fact, it is always best to leave intact asbestos alone.

However, you will want to check on it occasionally to be sure it stays intact. Don't touch the asbestos; just visually check it for rips, abrasions, or water damage — these may be signs that some fibers are being released. As a further precaution, you may want to limit access to the asbestos-ridden area, such as locking the door to the basement if you have undamaged asbestos covering your boiler or steam pipes. 

Asbestos: How to Tell if It’s the Real Stuff

 

When in doubt, assume a suspected material is asbestos and then get it professionally tested to make sure. It's important to consult a professional who is trained and equipped to handle and test asbestos. If you try to sample the material yourself, you may end up stirring up the fibers and making them airborne, which is exactly what you don't want.

If the material in your home is asbestos, and it is damaged and could shed fibers, then leaving it alone is no longer an option. Your two options are repair or removal. 

Asbestos: Repairing It

 

This usually means bringing in an asbestos professional to cover the asbestos to prevent particles from becoming airborne either by:

• Sealing the asbestos. Also called "encapsulating," this is done by covering the asbestos material with a sealant that binds the asbestos fibers together or covers them with a coating that prevents any fibers from escaping. This option sometimes is used for pipe and boiler insulation.
• Covering the asbestos. Also called "enclosing," this involves wrapping the asbestos with a protective outer jacket.

The advantage of the repair option is that it is less expensive; the disadvantage is that the asbestos is still there, and it may be harder to get to and cost more money if you want to remove it later, say in a renovation.

Asbestos: Removing It

 

Removal is both the ultimate fix and a bit of a risk, because the asbestos will be disrupted when it is removed. This is always a job for a qualified professional who is knowledgeable, experienced, and equipped to contain the asbestos while removing it. Removal is the preferred option when the damaged asbestos is extensive and repair is not possible, or when major changes to your home will disturb the asbestos. 

Asbestos: Finding a Qualified Professional

 

For your own peace of mind, you may want an asbestos professional to inspect your home, take any necessary samples, and make recommendations.

Asbestos testing, abatement, and removal companies are listed online and in the telephone book, or you can get a referral from your local building department. Before you pick a company, get client references and cost estimates from other companies. You should also check with the Better Business Bureau, because there have been reports of some asbestos removal companies recommending removal of non-asbestos materials.(source everydayhealth)