Many homes contain asbestos. It is important to recognize the health issues and the rules related to asbestos abatement.
What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous mineral mined from ore. Asbestos fibers can readily be broken into particles as small as bacteria. These fibers are never used alone and are always combined with other common materials. Desirable Characteristics
Of Asbestos
Asbestos became the additive of choice for building products because it will not burn, corrode, or conduct electricity and when mixed with other materials strength and durability are increased. The use of asbestos products became increasingly popular from 1900 through the 1970's and asbestos has been used in over 3000 products. Therefore it is safe to assume that no buyer could find a home free of asbestos. Common Uses of Asbestos
The in the Home
Some older vinelyl floor coverings contain asbestos and include both those vinyls which are manufactured as 6' wide sheets and square tiles referred to as vinyl asbestos tile (VAT). Prior to 1977, wall board and wall board compounds contained asbestos. Wall board is called by various names by people in the construction trades including sheetrock, or rock. Ceiling textures installed from 1945 to 1970 may also contain asbestos. The industry began to remove asbestos from these products in the late 1960"s. Asbestos is also associated with cementious appearing plaster like ceilings. If you see an octopus style furnace with gray-white paper wrapping covering the ducts throughout the basement, you are looking at material which contains asbestos. When you see hot water pipes running to radiators on the floors above and the pipes have been wrapped with a corrugated cardboard covered with cotton fabric, you have found asbestos. Asbestos in these applications! is readily made airborne by any activity which disturbs the material and such action should be avoided. Â | Asbestos was very common in residential siding in the form of asbestos cement shingles. These shingles are characteristically brittle, have a gray cement color, and are frequently cracked or chipped. If roof shingles were installed between 1971 and 1974 they may contain asbestos which was used to strengthen the asphalt in the shingles. Pipe wraps, papers and tapes may contain a large percentage of asbestos woven into either wool or cotton cloth. It is in this form that asbestos is most dangerous. Asbestos woven into cloth is said to be friable, which means it can be crumbled in the hand and readily made airborne. If you see an octopus style furnace with gray-white paper wrapping covering the ducts throughout the basement, you are without a doubt looking at material which contains asbestos. When you see hot water pipes running to radiators on the floors above and the pipes have been wrapped with a corrugated cardboard covered with cotton fabric, you have found asbestos. Asbestos in these applications! is readily made airborne by any activity which disturbs the material and such action should be avoided. The Situations
One Should Avoid
In the home inspection business we have seen houses where the work of removing asbestos siding or ceiling texture is in progress or where a furnace is being replaced which involves asbestos removal. In such cases entry should not be allowed to the premise by any person until safe levels have been achieved. Plastic sheeting and duct tape can be utilized to seal off the area containing asbestos. It is important to realize that the Puget Sound Air Pollution Control Agency has accepted the Federal mandate to control the removal and encapsulation of asbestos materials. Hence law enforcement efforts at the local level will come from the Puget Sound Air Pollution Control Agency. Wall board is called by various names by people in the construction trades including sheet rock, or rock. The material used to smooth joints and seams is often called mud. |
Resource Library 