subject: How To Remove Asbestos Safely [print this page] If your house was built prior to the 1970"s there"s a good chance that it may well contain asbestos and almost certainly if your home was built from say 1900 to 1960 (unless the asbestos has already been removed safely).
It was used for all sorts of reasons, as house cladding, roof tiles and ceiling tiles. Although the word asbestos sends people running there need not be such a panic over it, unless you want to remove it. At this point all sorts of safeguards should be put in place.
Inhalation of asbestos can cause pleural mesothelioma, an extremely rare cancer, affecting the linings of the lungs.
Why it was Used:
Asbestos was first discovered in the first century and it"s a mineral that totally amazed people for its properties. Early Greeks used it for clothing and lamp wicks but the material also had the ability to protect from condensation, flames, heat and noise.
In the 1800"s with the start of the industrial revolution, asbestos became really widely used. Asbestos was inexpensive and readily available so it was used in conjunction with household construction as way of filling spaces, covering items, mixing with liquids and combining with paints.
It really was known as a miracle mineral for the way it could keep cold out and heat in and damp areas could be kept dry.
Even in the 1970"s asbestos was put into paints and crayons, adhesives, protective ware for firemen, metal ware and appliances.
Where was Asbestos used in Homes?
Mainly roofs, attics and basements as heat insulators or used for wiring insulation, sewage pipe insulation as white or grey fluffy material.
However, for house cladding, ceiling tiles, plaster, stucco, it was generally mixed in with concrete so of course it wont be visible.
When can Asbestos be Dangerous:
Once breathed in asbestos will not leave the lungs so it"s vital not to disturb it. Due to its nature, if it"s broken microscopic fibres can float in the air and it will adhere to anything, clothes, furniture, walls and hair.
Once asbestos is breathed in the fibres don"t leave the body and will naturally put a fight up which produces lung disease conditions leading to other complications. The fibres can remain in the lungs for over fifty years.
The Safe Removal Of Asbestos:
It should be pointed out that these days there are a lot of professionals available for this task but if you are renovating an older place and you suspect that it may have asbestos then you could carefully bag an example and take it to a laboratory for testing and if confirmed, follow these guidelines:
First, protective clothing such as googles, overalls, gloves, boots and respirators must be bought or rented.
Plus seal proof large strong bags and you will likely require ladders, scrappers, rags and other tools.
You will have to wet the asbestos down before any removal takes place and you should then contact your local authorities to ask where the bags can be disposed of. Also, those bags should be thoroughly tagged as a warning for others for careful handling.
It should be pointed out though that asbestos is just fine where it is if you are not renovating but are aware that it is in your home. It"s just dangerous if it starts to break down, is sawn or shattered. So if you have it as insulation in your attic and you don"t want to go to the expense of having asbestos removed safely or don"t want to do it yourself then you can safely leave it there but take care that children don"t use it as a play area and if you are using it for storage, use the area minimally so you don"t disturb it.
