All About Asbestos

Asbestos is the name for a group of naturally occurring minerals that separate into strong, very fine fibers. The fibers are heat-resistant and extremely durable, and, because of these qualities, asbestos has become very useful in construction and industry. In the home it may or may not pose a health hazard to the occupants, depending on its condition. When it can be crushed by hand pressure or the surface is not sealed, to prevent small pieces from escaping, the material is considered FRIABLE. In this condition fibers can be released and pose a health risk. However, as long as the surface is stable and well-sealed against the release of its fibers and not damaged, the material is considered safe until damaged in some way.

HEALTH CONCERNS
Asbestos tends to break down into a dust of microscopic size fibers. Because of their size and shape, these tiny fibers remain suspended in the air for long periods of time and can easily penetrate body tissues after being inhaled or ingested. Because of their durability, these fibers can remain in the body for many years and thereby become the cause of asbestos related diseases.

Symptoms of these diseases generally do not appear for 10 to 30 years after the exposure. Therefore, long before its effects are detectable, asbestos related injury to the body may have already occurred. There is no safe level of exposure known, therefore exposure to friable asbestos should be avoided.

IDENTIFYING ASBESTOS
Descriptions given in this information may help in identifying asbestos-containing materials. We can correctly identify whether a material contains asbestos. However, the only way to be sure is to have a sample of the suspect material analyzed by a laboratory. It is prudent to treat material which could contain asbestos as if it does, until and unless reliable analysis proves otherwise.

Remember, the asbestos fibers that would cause health problems are much too small to be seen without a powerful microscope. In fact, an average human hair is approximately 1200 times thicker than an asbestos fiber.

IF WE FIND ASBESTOS IN YOUR HOME, WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?
Asbestos may be present in many products and materials about the home. This normally presents no problem as long as the asbestos is in good condition and is not disturbed or misused. When it becomes necessary to repair an item containing asbestos, when it is necessary to remove asbestos-containing material such as ceiling finish or pipe insulation, or when something has damaged asbestos-containing material such as pipe and boiler insulation, we at Dudley are fully qualified to handle your needs.

If the release appears significant (for example, 4 or 5 square feet of sprayed-on ceiling material or 1 to 2 feet of pipe insulation), close off the portion of the house, such as a bedroom or the basement, in which the problem has occurred, so that people will not be exposed. Close off air ducts and vents, shut windows, and tape bottoms of doors to prevent drafts. Contact us immediately.

You will probably want to have samples of dust or debris from floors, shelves, or window sills taken and analyzed by a laboratory. Air samples may also be needed to define the situation; if so, they must be taken and analyzed by a laboratory that has the proper training and equipment.
Analysis of material (bulk samples) and air samples will provide the information needed to decide what further measures may be required.

WHEN YOU MAKE MAJOR CHANGES IN YOUR HOME
Depending upon the amount of asbestos-containing material present, you may be required to notify authorities in your area before you remodel, dismantle, or demolish your home or part of it. They will want to know what work is intended and your proposed method of asbestos removal and disposal. The law also requires that "no visible emissions" of dust are allowed during removal, transportation, and disposal of asbestos-containing materials.

Exterior walls and closed decks were sometimes built with a fire retardant sheeting in the form of asbestos paper. If it looks like a thick gray cardboard, it may contain asbestos. If left undisturbed and in good condition, the undersheeting is considered safe. However, if you are taking out a wall for expansion and remodeling, or if you are replacing siding and shingles, you could release many fibers in the process of drilling, sawing, and removing.

Cement asbestos board (commonly referred to as CAB) has been used in houses as sheets for straight and lap siding and has been cut and shaped as a substitute for wood shingles for roofs and exterior walls. The material is hard and brittle, normally light gray in color, was pre-drilled for fastening, and often was factory primed and painted. Since this material is mainly outside the home, and the asbestos is bound in a hard material, it presents little hazard, unless altered by drilling, sawing, or sanding. When CAB becomes worn or damaged, spray paint it to ensure sealing in the fibers.

2. INSULATION: WALL & CEILING
Loose blown-in and batt insulation infrequently have been known to contain asbestos, especially in homes built or remodeled between 1930 and 1950. This material was used for thermal insulation and can be found where interior rooms and spaces need to be protected from outside temperatures. These areas include outside walls and floor or roof/attic spaces between structural joists and rafters. This asbestos presents a hazard only if renovation and repair work disturbs it.
If you plan such a project and find asbestos-containing materials, be sure to call us so you do not spread asbestos fibers throughout your home and the environment.

3. FLOOR COVERINGS
Sheet vinyl (including the backing or underlayment), vinyl tile, and vinyl adhesive may all contain asbestos. In these products, asbestos fibers were added to the basic materials to give them strength and durability. These products are considered safe unless the flooring is altered or damaged. Damage could occur as a result of prolonged or excessive abrasion. Breaking, sawing, cutting, grinding, and sanding will release asbestos fibers into the environment. When replacement or repair becomes necessary, these flooring products should be handled as little as possible and disposed of in an approved manner

"In an approved manner" refers to legal procedures for asbestos disposal applicable to the jurisdiction in which the house is located. Contact Dudley to determine requirements for proper disposal of asbestos containing material and products.

If you need to replace floor covering, sometimes the best solution is to lay the new floor directly over the old one. However, you should keep in mind that this asbestos-containing material remains in your house, and must eventually be dealt with if and when you remodel or demolish. Notifying future buyers of its hidden existence may be required in your locality.

4. FURNACES, BOILERS, HEATERS, & PIPING
Insulation blankets (the outside covering or shell), door gaskets, duct insulation, and tape at duct connections of furnaces and boilers all may contain asbestos. It was used as the best material available, during its time, as high-temperature insulation. Oil, coal, gas, or wood furnaces with asbestos-containing insulation and cement are generally found in older homes, its installation dating between 1930 and 1972. The material is white or grey in color and resembles the plaster used in casts to protect broken bones. If your furnace insulation is in good condition, it is best to leave it alone and keep maintaining it in good condition. If the insulation is in poor condition (friable), or pieces are breaking off or it has been subject to water damage, you should have it repaired or removed entirely. You may want to have the entire furnace replaced by a more modern efficient model. You should first find out if the insulation actually contains asbestos by sampling and analysis. While the insulation is in poor condition and awaiting repair or removal, children should be prevented from playing in or near the space to protect them and prevent further insulation damage.

Steam and hot water pipes were insulated with asbestos-containing material, particularly at elbows, tees, and valves. Its appearance is similar to that found on boilers. Pipes may also be wrapped in an asbestos "blanket", or asbestos paper (which looks very much like corrugated cardboard). Asbestos-containing insulation has also been used on and inside round and rectangular furnace ducts. Sometimes the duct itself may be made of asbestos-containing materials.

If you have moderately damaged insulation around pipes or boilers, the best current recommendation is to leave the insulation in place and have the protective covering repaired.

Asbestos-containing cement sheets (CAB), millboard, and paper have been used frequently as thermal insulation to protect the floor and walls around wood burning stoves. Again, there is no hazard if left as is, if it is in good condition.

5. INTERIOR SURFACES: WALLS AND CEILINGS
Sprayed-on or trowelled-on surface material on wall and ceiling surfaces of some homes may be composed of asbestos-containing materials. If the surface material is firmly attached, has a hard surface, and has no water damage, it should not be hazardous. If the surface can produce powder or dust by hand pressure, it is advisable to seek professional advice before deciding what further course of action to take. You may choose to call us and have a sample to a lab for analysis.
You should not try to do either repair or removal of this material yourself. There's too much danger you will expose yourself and your family to heavy concentrations of asbestos fibers. Contact us to remove this type of material without contaminating people or the environment.

6. ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
Materials in older lamp socket collars, electric switch and receptacle boxes, liners for recessed lighting, backing for switchboard panels, fuse boxes, and old-fashioned "knob & tube" wiring have all, at times, been found to contain asbestos. Normal use of these items should not pose a hazard. Replacement products in these categories do not contain asbestos. We can dispose of these items, when they are replaced, in an approved manner.

7. BUILT-IN EQUIPMENT
Oven & dishwasher (in cabinet) units were often wrapped in asbestos-containing insulation blankets or sheets until the mid-1970s. Homeowners should not disturb these materials since they do not pose a hazard if left in place. Removal or repair should be done by professionals such as Dudley and the materials or the entire unit should be discarded in an approved manner.

8. APPLIANCES
Portable dishwashers, toasters, clothes driers, popcorn poppers, broilers, electric blankets, slow cookers, and similar small appliances all have had parts made with asbestos-containing materials, which could give off fibers when the appliance is being disassembled for repair. The use of asbestos in these appliances is declining and newer items may have none. Consider discarding these items in an approved manner instead of repairing them. Some older hair driers and portable heaters, where the coil-wrapping and insulation contain asbestos, may still be in use. These driers and heaters should be discarded. Manufacturers voluntarily recalled hair driers containing asbestos in 1979, since laboratory tests of these hair driers showed that asbestos fibers were being released during their use. Some older models of freezers and water heaters may have asbestos in the insulating blanket within the metal cover. These should not pose a hazard in normal use. Discard in an approved manner. In general, when asbestos is used in appliances, it is in parts which will probably not result in the release of asbestos fibers during use, with the exception of hair driers and portable heaters where air currents pass over the material. It is unlikely that other asbestos components in these appliances present a significant health risk, unless dismantled.

9. MISCELLANEOUS
Older gas-fired decorative fireplace logs and artificial ashes may have a considerable amount of asbestos fibers and, if disposed of, should be handled in the same manner as other asbestos materials. Asbestos-containing gloves, stove-top trivets, and pads that are still being used should also be discarded.

POINTS TO REMEMBER
Asbestos is only dangerous when it's deteriorated to the point where its tiny fibers can be released into the air and inhaled. If the material is solid (in appearance and to touch) and maintained in good condition, it presents no problem.

If the asbestos-containing material in your home has become deteriorated for some reason, there's a good chance you can solve the problem without removal. Removal is generally the last resort, because it involves disturbing the material and sending more fibers into the air.