Asbestos Tile Can Be Found In Some Homes

Asbestos Tile Can Be Found In Some Homes

 

Hopefully by now you have seen commercials or heard enough about asbestos tile and asbestos related products to know that they can be hazardous to your health.  But did you know that asbestos containing products such as asbestos tile can be found in homes; especially if the home was built from the 1950s to the early 80s.  The sad truth is that a safe exposure level to asbestos hasn’t been set and recognized so improper contact with it should be avoided at all cost.

Asbestos material in the home such as asbestos tile in itself doesn’t posed a great risk to your health.  The problem occurs when these products become damaged and release their tiny asbestos fibers into the air.  From there you could easily inhale them into your lungs and the result can be one of more of several diseases including mesothelioma, asbestosis and even colon and stomach cancer.

Having asbestos tile in your home doesn’t mean that you’re going to come down with the aforementioned diseases.  Asbestos tile that is intake doesn’t pose a risk unless it starts to breakdown by way of becoming damaged.  That’s why it’s important to find out if you have asbestos containing products in your home and get a professional evaluation of the situation at hand.  Laboratory testing is a good way of finding out whether or not the material in question contains asbestos.  While awaiting the results of your test don’t do anything to disturb the tile.  Things such as sanding, drilling or using abrasive type pads should be totally avoided on asbestos tile.

Asbestos is a strong yet flexible mineral that resist fire.  That’s why they were a great choice for numerous building materials.  It was even used on Navy vessels in the past.  Asbestos tile and other products were soon produced to be used in the home.  One of the more popular tiles for the home that were used were the 9×9 tiles.  If these tiles were placed in the home in the period of the 50s through the early 80s you should contact an authorized laboratory for information on having them tested.  These are not the only size asbestos tile that were used in the home and they are not the only product.  There were, to name a few, asbestos containing ceiling tiles, insulation for water pipes as well insulation for furnaces used in the home.

As you can see, asbestos tile and other asbestos containing products are still in numerous homes.  The homeowner may not even know that they have these products in their home which makes them all the more dangerous.  If you suspect asbestos tile in your home or in the home of someone you know, talk to them and tell them about the hazards associated with asbestos.  Remember, as long as asbestos tile are intact and undamaged they posed no threat, but if damaged the home occupants maybe at risk of contracting several diseases including mesothelioma and asbestosis.