Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous mineral that was a popular building material from the 1950s to 1990s. Due to its strength and heat resistance, asbestos was used in a wide variety of materials for construction purposes, for many decades. Inhaling asbestos fibers can be dangerous. When disturbed, asbestos breaks down into fibers that can become trapped in lung tissues. Asbestos exposure can lead to respiratory problems including lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma. Health experts, including the CDC and EPA say there is no safe level of asbestos. Exposure to asbestos over long periods of time can be deadly. This is why it is very important to consider the possibility of the presence of asbestos containing materials when renovating an older home.Most people exposed to small amounts of asbestos, as we all are in our daily lives, do not develop health problems. However, if disturbed, asbestos material may release asbestos fibers, which can be inhaled into the lungs. Asbestos material that would crumble easily if handled or that has been sawed, scraped, or sanded into a powder is more likely to create a health hazard.

 

Most products made today do not contain asbestos. Those few products made which still contain asbestos that could be inhaled are required to be labeled as such. However, until the 1970s, many types of building products and insulation materials used in homes contained asbestos. Because asbestos was used in so many applications no exact numbers exist as to how many homes contain the cancer-causing material. Unfortunately, it is hard to know if you’re working with asbestos because it is often mixed with other materials. Common products that might have contained asbestos in the past, and conditions which may release fibers, include:  steam pipes, boilers and furnace ducts insulated with an asbestos blanket or asbestos paper tape. These materials may release asbestos fibers if damaged, repaired, or removed improperly; resilient floor tiles (vinyl asbestos, asphalt and rubber), the backing on vinyl sheet flooring, and adhesives used for installing floor tile. Sanding tiles can release fibers, and so may scraping or sanding the backing of sheet flooring during removal;
cement sheet, millboard and paper used as insulation around furnaces and wood-burning stoves. Repairing or removing appliances may release asbestos fibers, and so may cutting, tearing, sanding, drilling, or sawing insulation; door gaskets in furnaces, wood stoves and coal stoves. Worn seals can release asbestos fibers during use; soundproofing or decorative material sprayed on walls and ceilings. Loose, crumbly or water-damaged material may release fibers, and so will sanding, drilling or scraping the material; patching and joint compounds for walls and ceilings, and textured paints. Sanding, scraping, or drilling these surfaces may release asbestos fibers; asbestos cement roofing, shingles and siding. These products are not likely to release asbestos fibers unless sawed, dilled or cut; artificial ashes and embers sold for use in gas-fired fireplaces, and other older household products, such as fireproof gloves, stove-top pads, ironing board covers and certain hairdryers; and automobile brake pads and linings, clutch facings and gaskets.