Floor Tiles With Asbestos & The Problems Associated With Them

Floor Tiles With Asbestos & The Problems Associated With Them

 

Floor tiles with asbestos should be a concern to everyone but especially if you live in an older home.  By early I’m talking about early 80s on back.  In these older homes there’s a good chance that the flooring installed may have contain asbestos.  This type of flooring wasn’t a new discovery to that time period as asbestos had been in used for 100′s of years in various parts of the world.  It’s actually a strong material that resist fire and a host of chemicals.

The expansion of using floor tiles with asbestos came about during the industrial revolution and at that time it was considered to be the best material for a host of building solutions for homes as well as commercial use. As workers in the manufacturing sector started to make products containing asbestos, different sicknesses effecting the lungs started to appear.  Of course this sparked a big debate as to whether asbestos was causing the illnesses but by the 1980′s proof was firmly established of a link between asbestos and certain lung diseases including mesothelioma.  It was finally established that floor tiles with asbestos and other products containing asbestos wasn’t a safe option to be used.

Responsible companies and builders immediately stopped using asbestos containing materials as a direct response to the studies they were made on the material which was great for all future applications of the building process.  The problem is that floor tiles with asbestos as well as asbestos material in walls and ceilings were already placed in homes across America.

Before you panic let’s look at how floor tiles with asbestos can become harmful to you and your family.  As stated earlier these tiles had stopped being used in the early 80′s.  They were being installed starting in the 1950′s.  Now that you know the time period you also need to know that tiles containing asbestos posed no harm as long as they are in good condition.  The problem comes in when and if the tiles become broken or brittle.

Floor tiles with asbestos becomes a hazard when it’s handled incorrectly.  This usually happens when it’s being replaced.  The problem is when these tiles are brittle or broken they can release their tiny fibers into the atmosphere where they are easily inhaled into the lungs.  Once in the lungs a host of problems can occur including mesothelioma and asbestosis.  The first step to protecting your health is the find out if you indeed have floor tiles with asbestos in your home.

There are people who have unknowingly exposed themselves to asbestos by removing floor tiles with asbestos.  They may not even be aware of what asbestos is least alone know that it maybe in their homes.  This article is to inform you in the hopes that you will share what you’ve learned with others.  If you have or know someone who has a home that was built prior to the early 80′s is imperative for that home to be tested for asbestos.  If the home is found to contain asbestos a license professional should be called in to thoroughly check out the situation and recommend a course of action.  Remember floor tiles with asbestos that are intact pose no threat to you but if it becomes brittle or broken you maybe exposing yourself to a host of breathing problems including mesothelioma cancer.