Asbestos - Be In The Know

Many of us have heard of it and know its dangers. It’s not in all homes, but it is in quite a few and there is no specific geographic region that it is isolated to. You need to know the facts about asbestos and be prepared. Keeping your home and your family safe from asbestos poisoning is all about prevention and early recognition. Here is what you need to know.

Used extensively in home construction from the early 1940s through the 1970s, asbestos is a highly-effective and inexpensive fire-retardant material and thermal and acoustic insulator. It is no longer used, because we know now that prolonged exposure to its fibers can lead to lung disease and cause cancer. If your home was built prior to 1975, listen up to some of the places it may have been used in your home:

• thermal insulation on basement boilers and pipes
• blown-in attic insulation
• vinyl floor tilesglue that attaches floor tiles to concrete or wood
• some forms of linoleum
• window caulking
• roofing material (usually on flat roofs but occasionally on shingles)
• HVAC duct insulation
• siding material
• plaster
• fiber cement siding
• corrugated heavy duty 8’x4’ panels
• some forms of paint

Having asbestos in your home is not dangerous unless it is tampered with or damaged, which would then release fibers into the air. You need to check periodically for any tears, abrasions or water damage in your home. If you detect damage anywhere, limit access to that part of your home and seek a home improvement professional’s help.