Asbestos
There are a few big concern items that will commonly come up during the home inspection process for home buyers (For example, asbestos, mold, termites, etc). So I wanted to talk about one of them and how it may potential impact you and your family.
What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a mineral fiber. It can only be positively identified with a special type of microscope. These fibers were added to a variety of products to help strengthen them. Asbestos fibers provide heat insulation and fire resistance.
How is it Harmful?
Breathing in high levels of asbestos fibers can lead to increased risk of lung cancer. Generally it takes many years of exposure before a person gets asbestosis. And symptoms do not usually appear until after 20+ years after the first exposure.
Where Can it Be Found in My Home?
There were many building materials and insulation items used over the years that contained asbestos. Here are some common ones that I still see in homes:
- HVAC ducting wrap
- Old vinyl floor tiles
- Popcorn ceilings
- Fiber-cement roof shingles & siding
- Vermiculite insulation
How Can I Identify Asbestos in My Home?
Asbestos cannot be identified by just looking at a material. It takes a special type of microscope to identify asbestos fibers from non asbestos fibers. However, if you suspect the material contains asbestos fibers treat it as such!
How Do I Manage Asbestos Type Products?
There are three ways to deal with asbestos like materials:
- Do Not Disturb
- Encapsulate
- Abate
The best thing you can do with asbestos like materials if they are in good condition is to leave them along. They are not harmful to you in a good condition state. However, once you start to mess with the material, it can degrade quickly and release those fibers into the air. Do not disturb the material if you can help it!
In need of minor repairs most situations will allow you to encapsulate the material. For example, if your home has popcorn ceilings and you suspect they contain asbestos. Instead of having the ceilings abated by licensed professionals you can encapsulate the material by placing a new layer of drywall on the ceiling. Encapsulation provides a layer of protection to the asbestos like materials so that the fibers are not disturbed and released into the air you breath.
If more major repairs are needed, the material will need to be abated. To do this a licensed professional who has been properly trained to EPA standards on how to dispose of the asbestos like material properly will have to be hires. This can get costly fast.
Summary
Small amounts of exposure to asbestos does not immediately lead to lung cancer ans you cannot identify asbestos by just looking at it. Asbestos is not harmful until the fibers are released in the air and breathed in, so it is best not to disturb asbestos like materials if you can. If minor repairs are needed it is usually simpler and less expensive to encapsulate the material.
Overall it is important to understand what asbestos is and know that materials containing asbestos fibers are still in many homes today. However, just because you have asbestos in your home does not mean you need to immediately freak out. Asbestos can be harmful if not handled properly but we have learned over the years how to manage asbestos like materials to keep our families safe in our homes.
To learn more please visit the EPA’s website at https://www.epa.gov/asbestos.