Hey the inspector just said I have asbestos in my house!…Well that’s a typical thing for anyone to hear who may be purchasing a house build in the 70’s or older. Asbestos used to be the wonder insulator, not only was it the best insulator but it strengthened materials and was fire resistant. I remember as a young boy putting out the trash fire in the back yard with an asbestos blanket (I would be quarantined in a loony bin if that happened now). Asbestos has been used in many different building applications such as dry wall mud, insulation, floor tiles, ceiling tiles, etc…If you live in an old house, you most likely have asbestos somewhere. This is really not much of a problem unless you are planning on tearing something up. Asbestos is not dangerous unless its fibers can be released in the air, the technical term for this is friable asbestos. Asbestos does not carry any electric charge or virus that will give you cancer if you touch it. The floating fibers get into your lungs and get stuck there, causing inflammation and could eventually cause cancer (mesothelioma). This cancer has been a famous ambulance chaser TV add for the last 5 years as this decease has spread (many of the construction workers and mill workers operating around this mineral have come down with this disease which has been boon for many a lawyer).

What you can do if you have asbestos in your house. First thing to do is check to see if you have exposed fibers. Do not try to make exposed fibers simply look at the material and check to see if it is falling apart. If it is falling apart I would recommend getting the affected parts removed by a professional. If you are desiring to do it yourself (I do not recommend this) make sure you at least have an asbestos respirator. – Get all your furniture out of the area being abated for asbestos, the fibers can get in your furniture and puff out on its next use. Also no pets or children in the areas until everything has been moved and the dust has been wiped from everything in the affected area.

More specifically what is asbestos in -> There are somethings asbestos are common in and others that are mostly folklore for the up selling asbestos remover. A good rule of thumb is if you see loose fibers or something furry on anything on a house older than 80’s you should probably use a self test asbestos kit before messing with it.
*Floor tile – these floor tile are usually dark and look like VCT tile (grocery store tile). They come in several sizes but the most common that I have seen is an 8 inch.
*Drywall mud and Tape – this is usually safe unless you are tearing out a wall, If you know your house has plaster you will probably be ok because horse hair was used to reinforce most plaster walls.
*Insulation – If you do not know what you have then don’t mess with it. Attic insulation is usually dry and very friable. Sample a very small portion without making dust and have it tested (you can do this yourself with a DIY asbestos test kit, check Amazon Link->)
*Shingles – Your house has probably had these shingles removed, if not you will have to hire someone that has experience with this type of roofing. This can come in several forms but the most common in our area is a diamond shaped shingle that looks almost like sideways slate from a distance.
*Siding – This is usually a thin siding about 3/16″ thick and very hard, it is generally safe if it is painted and not messed with. There is a new mineral siding that can be used to replace this stuff if you happen to have a damaged shingle (It is usually at a specialty contractor store).
*Ceiling tiles – these can be a little deceiving if they have not been hanging (new in the case), because they look very much the same as what is currently out. If you have damaged tiles, be very careful not to make dust if you decide to replace them.
* There are other materials that have asbestos in them, if you are in doubt check it out.

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