As asbestos is cheap and heat-resistant, it was often used in buildings for insulation. Asbestos is not used in buildings anymore because people know that it’s toxic. But if a building was made before 1980 it is likely that it will contain asbestos, and if it was made before 2000 it may contain asbestos. Asbestos was still being mined and built with until around 2000. The USA hasn’t banned asbestos, but it isn’t being built with often.
But every year, thousands of people die from asbestos.
Asbestos is a natural mineral. Some states that asbestos was commonly mined in are Georgia, California, Arizona, Alaska, and Washington State.
One reason that asbestos is so dangerous is that if it’s disturbed you can breathe it in, and asbestos can not be identified simply by looking at it. Then, your clothes can bring it home, and the launderer of those clothes can also get exposed to asbestos. Another reason is that illnesses from asbestos don’t show until 20 to 50 years after being exposed. That’s a lot of time for a lot of people to be exposed. It’s not as if one can warn the owner of the place right away because he got sick.
Asbestos-containing materials
Asbestos was often used as insulation; but there are other places – such as popcorn ceilings – that asbestos may hide. Here is a list of some of the materials that often contain asbestos.
- Insulation
- Tiles (roofing and siding)
- Soundproofing applications
- Electrical wiring casings
- Floor tiles
- Flooring adhesives
- Asbestos and cement shingles
- Paints
- Popcorn ceilings
- Plaster compounds
If one doesn’t breathe in asbestos, the diseases can be prevented. If your house was built before the ’80s, you should test your house for asbestos, especially if the wall/insulation is falling apart; asbestos fibers may be being released from the wall just by the wind from a fan. But, you should never test for or remove asbestos by yourself even if you have a kit. Removing asbestos by yourself can end up exposing you more than if you hadn’t tested for it or removed it yourself.
Even Asbestos That Is Left-Alone Can Be Dangerous
Asbestos is heat resistant, which makes it a good insulator. In the 1970s people began trying to ban and control asbestos. But it was still being used frequently. This means that if your house was built before 1980 and you’re planning on remodeling it, you should test for asbestos first. Construction kicks up so much dust, and you don’t want that dust to contain asbestos.
You hear that asbestos is safe as long as it isn’t touched. That is not always true, though, and when asbestos-containing insulation deteriorates it releases asbestos-fibers; fans can also release fibers.
If you have an old house and you are planning on remodeling, get your house tested for asbestos before remodeling by a trained and accredited asbestos professional.
Materials That Often Contain Asbestos
Many materials can contain asbestos, but here is a list of some places that often contain asbestos in schools, homes, factories, and other industrial buildings. This includes:
- Floor/walls near wood-burning stoves.
- Popcorn ceilings
- Textured surfaces, such as paint
- Pipes
- Insulation
- Roof and wall tiles
- Gutters
- Cement panels
- Door gaskets
- Water tanks
- Flues
Again, if you are planning on getting your house that was built before the ‘80s remodeled, get it tested for asbestos by a trained and accredited asbestos professional first.
Why Should I Get My House Tested?
Some asbestos-containing buildings didn’t get asbestos removed from them, even if the asbestos was known about. This includes industrial buildings such as power-plants, but it also includes schools and houses.
That is why you need to get your houses tested for asbestos if you have a house that is more than 40 years old. During the 1980s asbestos was still being used, and even in the 1990s, though much less than the ‘70s. It was being phased out.