Asbestos Floor Tile – What’s The Big Deal?
Asbestos Floor Tile – What’s The Big Deal?
What’s the big deal with asbestos floor tile? Well there are some very serious health problems that can occur as a result of asbestos that you should fully understand in order to protect yourself and family members. If your house was built between the 1950s and the 1980s, asbestos floor tile may of been the best option for your home. Today, we know that this type of tile can cause a host of health problems when it starts to break down and is inhaled into our bodies.
Asbestos floor tile is of course made from asbestos with is a fibrous mineral that is fire resistant and have good strength and flexibility. It can be easily used in the manufacturing process which made it an idea substance to use. Of course when it was being used heavily in the production process no one was aware of how hazardous this material could be. Workers soon began to develop lung related illnesses which prompted studies on asbestos. These studies later proved just how much of a hazard asbestos was to our bodies causing such diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma.
Because of asbestos fire retardant properties it was widely used in insulation. In fact, most people think of asbestos in the home as being isolated to insulation for furnaces. It was widely used for that purpose of course but that is just one of it’s many uses. In the home you may find asbestos material not only in duct and furnace insulation but in various gaskets, roofing, siding, ceilings and walls and of course asbestos floor tile. Remember that old ironing board cover that you could put a hot iron on without burning. There’s a good chance that it had asbestos woven into the fabric.
This article is not meant to caused panic or to scare you into thinking that you need to immediately remove all asbestos containing material from your home. In fact, most asbestos containing material caused no threat if they remain intake. The problem is when asbestos floor tile and other asbestos containing material start to break down. When the material is damaged the microscopic fibers are released into the air where they are easily inhaled into the lungs. Once there they can caused a host of health problems including mesothelioma. We often here of safe levels when being exposed to different toxins. With asbestos there are none. Inhaling these fibers should be avoided at all cost period.
If you are the do it yourself type you maybe thinking of attempting the project of removing asbestos floor tile and other asbestos containing material from your home. You will be well advised not to try it. Not only can you caused great harm to yourself if you’re not extremely cautious and know what you’re doing, but you can also put your family in harms way. As mentioned earlier, asbestos fibers are microscopic and once released into the air they are easily inhaled into the lungs. In fact, in most states it’s illegal for you to remove asbestos floor tile unless you are a fully trained and licensed asbestos abatement professional. There are kits available for you to take a sample of the material you suspect of containing asbestos and then sending it off to a lab to have analyzed, but that is a far as you should go yourself. It’s just not worth the possible health risk.
Asbestos floor tile doesn’t posed any harm as long as it remains undamaged. It’s when these tiles become broken and brittle that they released their asbestos fibers into the air. Some do it your-selfers have placed new flooring over asbestos floor tile to save the time and money in having it removed. This isn’t a safe practice. Remember that we are talking about microscopic fibers here that can’t be easily seen with the naked eye. If the asbestos floor tile is damaged in the process of laying over a new floor your health is at risk. Asbestos floor tile in the home is a big deal; especially if it’s damaged. Do yourself a favor and contact a licensed asbestos abatement professional for proper advice on keeping you and your family safe.
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The Procedure For Removing Asbestos Flooring
Removing asbestos flooring where you live may or may not only be a project for an authorized licensed contractors. Check all the local and state laws concerning the handling of asbestos handling materials where you live. This article attempts to give the average homeowner and idea of what is involved in the process of removing asbestos flooring and is not considered proper training of the process.
Removing asbestos flooring is a potentially dangerous process and all safety precautions should be followed. The work area should be restricted to only those who are to perform the job and the area should be quarantined from the rest of the house or building. The working area should be sealed off with tape and all doors and windows should be closed. Also make sure there is adequate lighting to view the flooring while wearing safety glasses.
When removing asbestos flooring signs should be placed at every entrance to the work area to warn others that a safety hazard is present and do not enter the area. Consult with an EPA agency as to the proper vacuuming equipment and waste container to be used but some of the other tools that are used is hammers, knives & scrapers, shovels, sprayers to wet down the flooring and rags. The proper wetting agent is very important in preventing the asbestos fibers from being released into the atmosphere. Equipment for your personal safety includes, disposable overalls with hood, non-laced boots, safety goggles and the proper breathing apparatus. The asbestos worker places himself right into the thick of a potential dangerous situation so the proper equipment is paramount to his or her safety. Asbestos does harm to the body by entering the lungs so the proper breathing apparatus can’t be stress enough. It’s not enough to get a breathing mask from your local hardware store. Do some research on the proper breathing apparatus for removing asbestos flooring and you’ll quickly discover that it’s not an item found in Home Depot.
After all safety and protective gear requirements has been met the worker is now ready to get to the job at hand of removing the asbestos flooring. The scraper is used by placing in between the joints in the tile and gently lifting them. For tiles that are not loose enough to be pried with a hammer is used to gently tap the scraper. If removing asbestos flooring in a rather large area and shovel is used to remove the tile. Safety in not breaking the tile should always be used. The wetting solution should be used around and under the tiles while lifting to suppress any dust present. Wet and scrape up any adhesive that was used to hold the flooring in place. If necessary a solvent can be used in this process for removal. The tile, adhesive and all debris is then placed into the proper waste container.
When removing asbestos flooring sanding is never an options. As stated earlier, asbestos is harmful once it becomes airborne and enter the lungs so sanding is never done. If only removing a small area of the flooring cleaning can be accomplished with the used of wet rags but when removing a large area the proper vacuuming equipment must be used. Once the cleaning has been done to the floor area the equipment has to also be clean with the use of wet rags. Once complete the rags are now waste material and should be placed into the proper container and sealed. Once the asbestos is contained it’s now time for the worker to clean him or herself up. Patting off clothing with damp rags ensure that fibers will not be disturbed. Do not rub. Two workers can help each other by peeling the overalls off, pulling them inside out and putting them into the proper waste container. Last but not least the respirator can be remove. If it’s disposable place it into the waste container with everything else and seal. Otherwise follow instructions for cleaning the respirator.
As you can see removing asbestos flooring can be a dangerous job that shouldn’t be taken on by someone without the proper equipment and training. Check with your local and state regulating agencies as well as the EPA before considering the job. They can put you in contact with a licensed contractors who can safely perform the job of removing asbestos flooring.
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Unforeseen Hazards Related To Health – Asbestos And Lead
Practically any demolition carries with it the possibility that you’ll run into asbestos and lead; especially in older homes. These could be extremely hazardous to your well being and precautions must be taken.
Lead paint is primarily present in homes constructed prior to 1978. The older the home, the greater the possibility that lead paint was used. Lead paint might be on the moldings, walls, ceilings, or even the floors. A main danger is that youngsters will chew on wood covered with lead paint.
Lead ingestion, both by inhalation or by swallowing, can produce all sorts of negative symptoms, which includes (at high levels) convulsions, coma, and death. At low levels it may well adversely affect the circulatory system, the kidneys, the central nervous system, and the brain. It could cause issues like hyperactivity, muscle and joint pain, high blood pressure, and hearing loss.
How Do I Know If I Have Lead Paint?
Testing for lead paint is fairly complicated, though simple assessments are available for homeowners. The perfect approach is to have a technician authorized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) come in and test the area of your concern (in addition to your complete home). The test costs round $350.
The hazard in renovation with lead paint comes when someone tries to remove it. The process of burning paint off of wood can launch lead into the air. Sanding lead paint can release lead particles into the air. (Normal vacuum cleaners cannot capture lead particles-specialized filters must be used.) Basically, when the lead paint is disturbed, it turns into a hazard.
Encapsulating lead-that’s, painting over it-is not considered an appropriate technique of dealing with the problem. The hazard is that the paint may chip off or oxidize and the lead could still get into the dwelling.
Perhaps the easiest way to take away the lead is solely to remove whatever it is painted on. Take off the molding and the lead paint goes with it. (Be sure it is properly disposed of. ) Remove the wallboard or plaster and the paint goes also.
For the most part, specialists (EPA-certified lead abatement technicians) are the only ones who can safely remove lead from a surface. Nonetheless, anytime anybody is working with lead, that individual ought to wear an approved respirator. Be ready for the cost. A total dwelling removal of lead paint can value $10,000 or extra!
Asbestos can be a greater problem. It can be present in floor tiles, sprayed on ceilings, and as insulation material wrapped round pipes (heating ducts as well as plumbing) or lining attics and roofs.
Breathing asbestos can result in asbestosis, a lung situation that can lead to death. It has also been linked to lung cancer and other diseases.
How Do I Acknowledge Asbestos?
Asbestos is a white materials with fibers. However it can be difficult to identify. It may be in solid state, as in vinyl asbestos tile. To be sure, you need to have a suspicious area tested. You can gather a pattern of the fabric you’re curious about and ship it off to a lab for testing.
For instance, it’s possible you may be thinking about removing floor tiles because you think they may contain asbestos. You possibly can ship a portion of a tile in and have it checked out. However make sure you send it to an accredited lab. Every state maintains labs accredited for this purpose. A clearinghouse can be found by the EPA (http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/index.htm).
If the asbestos isn’t sealed and fibers are breaking off-for instance, if you’re transferring floor tiles containing asbestos, or working on ceilings sprayed with asbestos (as was done in the Seventies to create an “acoustical” look)-it’s another matter. Anytime asbestos has been disturbed it becomes a danger to your health.
Once more, only technicians knowledgeable with the removal of asbestos should try to handle it. Do not remove asbestos yourself. The only time you should try to get it out of your home is if you’ve been specially trained to do so. Otherwise, you may make the condition a lot worse, plus endanger your loved ones and also yourself.
Elimination typically involves sealing off the entire area so no air can escape to the outside, then installing fans and filters to capture the unfastened asbestos fibers within the air while technicians in protecting gear and respirators take away whatever has come loose.
Encapsulating asbestos is usually thought to be an appropriate technique of handling it. As a sensible matter, a containment policy works well. If I suspect asbestos in ground tiles, for example, as a substitute of eradicating the ground, with the inherent possibility of releasing asbestos fibers into the air after which paying to have it professionally eliminated, I’ll install a barrier (such as plastic sheathing) and lay a brand new floor over the old. In many instances a new floor can be “floated” over an present floor, thus successfully encapsulating it. The same applies to coping with asbestos in other areas, similar to partitions and ceilings if the asbestos has not been disturbed. Encapsulation of 1 type or another followed by creation of a barrier to keep the area from being damaged is usually the cheapest method. The alternative-hiring a certified crew to remove the asbestos-can add up to more than your whole renovation job!
Do not overlook demolition-it should be calculated into every dwelling renovation job. Don’t dismiss the mess-it’s an unavoidable part of each house renovation.
What You Need to Know About Asbestos Floor Tiles
If you have never had to deal with any sort of asbestos it can be a real worry. We hear all the time about how awful asbestos is and how it can give you asbestosis. Although it can be a very dangerous substance you don’t need to over worry about it too much if you find it in your home. The reason asbestos has been used in the manufacture of floor tiles is because it’s a very practical material in terms of being able to resist fire along with some other things.
With asbestos flooring you should know that there are basically two states it can be in. Either is can be non-friable which is where it is in a safe form and you don’t need to worry about it. Whereas if it’s friable it means that the spores of the asbestos can get into the air and therefore into your lungs.
Luckily if you do decide you want to get rid of your asbestos flooring tiles, it’s a pretty easy job that can be done by specialist contractors. You should never attempt the removal yourself because safety gear needs to be worn such as goggles and respirator. The tiles can then be taken away in large bits and you should never try to saw or drill it because the asbestos can then get into the air.
Some people might think that it’s too expensive to have the tiles removed professionally but this is not one expense you should try to cut out. In many places it’s against the law to attempt the removal yourself and also the asbestos needs to be disposed of correctly and cannot simply be placed into the garbage. Instead the asbestos is placed into a good air-tight container which is then clearly marked so that people know what is inside.
Although asbestos can be perfectly safe if allowed to sit where it is undisturbed, it can be very dangerous if you start to poke about with it. This is why if you want to do any sort of home remodelling you should either stay well away from any asbestos in your home or you should have it professionally removed by a contractor. Many people have contracted asbestosis because of exposure to asbestos and this is why so many lawyers specialise in asbestos cases. If you have found out that you are suffering from this condition it is well worth contacting a local lawyer that deals with such cases because there is a good chance you will be able to claim for compensation.
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