Unknown Asbestos Risks Your Home Could Have

Although homeowners often do not realize it, many older houses are full of asbestos exposure risks.

Until the 1980s, manufacturers frequently used the flexible fibers to insulate or reinforce construction materials. Many homes still contain these original materials, which relied on the fibers for reinforcement or insulating properties.

Asbestos appeared in more than 5,000 different products. Some of these products came from leading manufacturers, such as General Electric and Kelly Moore Paint Co.

Asbestos ceiling tiles



Common asbestos-containing home products included:

·         Shingles

·         Tiles

·         Adhesives

·         Textured coatings   

·         Paint

·         Cement

·         Mastic

·         Insulation

The amount of asbestos contained within these products varies. Some products are made up of only 1 or 2 percent asbestos, while certain cement products contained as much as 50 percent asbestos.  However, any amount of asbestos can pose a health risk if the fibers become friable.

Contact a Home Inspector

In general, homeowners cannot visually identify asbestos within their home. They may be able to see a few loose asbestos strands in certain chipped, cracked or crumbling products, but it is much more common for the fibers to remain fully contained within the material. This actually benefits the homeowner because the asbestos is not a health hazard when it is completely contained within the product. However, it also means that homeowners will need to hire a home inspection company or an asbestos abatement professional to test their residence for asbestos.

An accredited inspection company can take samples of suspicious materials and send them to a laboratory for further testing. If the laboratory tests confirm the presence of asbestos, homeowners should not perform any renovations on the item. If they need to remodel or demolish the part of the home that contains asbestos, they should contact a licensed abatement company to come remove the product from the premesis.  This ensures total safety for all of the residents of the home.

Author bio: Faith Franz researches and writes about health-related issues for The Mesothelioma Center. One of her focuses is living with cancer.