Asbestos is a mineral fiber that, for several years, was used extensively in building materials because of its ideal resistance to fire. Unfortunately, in later years, after it was used in homes, schools, and in commercial buildings across the United States, asbestos was found to cause serious health problems.
If your home was built prior to nineteen seventy nine, there was probably some sort of asbestos materials used in its construction. Examples of building products that previously contained this mineral fiber include roofing shingles, some types of siding, insulation, and vinyl or rubber flooring tiles.
Since homes are filled with insulation in their walls and roofs, it can be one of the biggest problem materials. Not only that, but do it yourselfers can come in contact with insulation that has asbestos in it if they remodel any part of their house.
The only way to determine if the insulation in your home contains this dangerous mineral fiber is to hire a professional to retrieve samples of the insulation in your home. He or she can then take them or send them to a laboratory to be analyzed. A laboratory can look at the fibers under a microscope and identify what it is.
If the insulation in your home is made of asbestos, fortunately, as long as it's left undisturbed, it shouldn't pose a danger to you or your family. Keep in mind that just because your home might have asbestos in it, doesn't mean that you or your family is at risk for health dangers.
However, if asbestos insulation is disturbed, it can easily release its tiny mineral fibers into the air that you breathe. Disturbed" means that you ripped it out of the walls or ceilings. It can also mean that the insulation was somehow damaged or otherwise moved.
The dangerous health problem with asbestos is that it can and does cause lung cancer in human beings. These two types of cancer are known as Mesothelioma and Asbestosis. Mesothelioma is a cancer that attacks the lining of a human being's chest. Asbestosis causes the lungs to be scarred with fibrous tissue.
It has been determined by health authorities that neither of these two lung cancers are caused by smoking cigarettes or cigars. Instead, these cancers are caused from the long term inhalation of asbestos fibers. The human beings who are at the biggest risk of cancer-related inhalation are people who worked in the construction business prior to nineteen seventy nine. People who also worked in the demolition of homes and buildings are at a high risk too.
In conclusion, if your home does contain insulation that contains asbestos, or, if you suspect that your home does, as long as the insulation is in good condition and is not exposed, there shouldn't be a safety problem for you and your family.
However, if you're going to do some remodeling work around your home that will include removing or exposing the insulation, then you will need to have the insulation analyzed by a laboratory. If it contains asbestos, then you'll need to hire a professional to remove it safely.
You can check with your local health department to find someone who is trained and certified in removing asbestos insulation. Never handle any insulation that is made up of asbestos fibers yourself.
A certified professional will often dampen the asbestos first with water before he or she removes it. He or she will also remove the insulation in several large sheets. The water will help to keep the mineral fibers from floating freely in the air. And, removing insulation in large sheets instead of small pieces helps to eliminate fibers reaching the air.
