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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Is It Safe To Remove Asbestos Floor Tiles?
Just what is asbestos and why does it cause so many problems? In homes it’s mainly found in houses built prior to 1978. It has excellent insulation qualities and is heat and chemical resistant. The downside of it is that it has very small fibers that if inhaled can cause diseases and cancer. Mesothelioma is a disease of the membrane which surrounds the lungs and abdominal cavities and is caused from inhaling or swallowing asbestos fibers. That’s why extreme caution must be taken before performing the task of asbestos tile removal.
Older floor tile that was made from vinyl contains asbestos and can be very dangerous to handle. The conditioning of the tile must be inspected to see what kind of shape it’s in. If it’s brittle and can be broken or crush from the pressure of your hand you have a problem. These are the types of tiles that can potentially release thier dangerous fibers when handled.
If you’re thinking about an asbestos tile removal job on your own just know that it’s not going to be an easy task and you should consider letting a professional handle the job for you. For starters it is imperative that you wear protective gear and protect your eyes and lungs with the proper breathing apparatus and glasses. Though this gear is mandatory for your own safety it does make the job harder if you don’t already have the proper experience in removing asbestos material. The removal of asbesots material is done in whole pieces to insure that the fibers stay intact as much as possible and with the limited vision and breathing that results from wearing the safety gear the job gets that much harder.
If you’re still thinking about tackling this dangerous job on your own check with your state licensing board to see if you’re permitted to do the job and what safety suggestions they can give you. You will find that most states only allow licensed contractors who have taken the required educational courses to do the job. When these guys come on the scene they will separate the area with the asbestos material from the rest of the house by putting up a protective plastic barrier. Then they will go to work insuring that any asbestos material that is loose or broken cannot release it’s particles into the atmosphere. That’s an extremely important process that insures you or your family want breath in asbestos fibers which has the potential of causing Mesothelioma.
Asbestos tile removal is a necessary but dangerous business. The professionals know how to handle this material and take no short cuts in handling it. Once the tile has been removed from your home it’s placed in special containers and marked clearly with a danger warning sign for all concerned to see but the job still isn’t completed at this stage. This harmful material has to be properly disposed of and can’t be dumped anywhere. It has to be transported to special EPA approved landfills and buried properly. There are several documents required in the process to make sure the dangerous asbestos is handled properly and isn’t released into the atmosphere.
As you can see asbestos tile removal is a serious business that shouldn’t be tackled by someone not trained in it’s safe removal process. If handled incorrectly it can cause harm to you as well as others in the form of lung disease, cancer and Mesothelioma. If your state doesn’t allow you to do it then don’t try it. Your state is only protecting you, your loved ones and your surrounding community.
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Asbestos Tile Source Guide
Asbestos tiles were pretty popular back then in the US from 1920 to the 1960s. Nobody knew anything about the side effects of asbestos. Asbestos were used to manufacture brake pads, filtered cigarettes, electric ovens, battle ships, even asbestos tiles! Imagine that. Then somebody came along and blew the whistle on asbestos and said, “Asbestos is responsible for serious respiratory illnesses such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer. Do you want my filtered cigarette? Since then many countries have banned the use of asbestos in many common household and industry items. Asbestos tiles went out of style. Or at least it was supposed to. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, http://asbestos-tile.info; asbestos content in floor and ceiling tiles is safe as long as it doesn’t exceed 1%. But problem is it can range anywhere from 0% to 70%, which is more than enough to poison everyone living under the roof.
The color of the tile is a good indicator of its asbestos content. Dark colored tiles usually have higher concentrations of asbestos, but of course that doesn’t mean all dark colored tiles contain asbestos. Always make it a point to ask the dealer to show you only asbestos-free tiles.
The thing with asbestos tiles is that they are safe as long as the asbestos doesn’t spread into the air. This happens when the tile is cracked or chipped by another hard object.
For this reason, asbestos tiles are much safer to use as ceiling tiles than floor tiles. But even so, avoid using asbestos tiles if you can help it – floor or ceiling.
For more information and tips On Asbestos Tile Source Guide visit, http://asbestos-tile.info
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