How to Identify Asbestos in Your Home

Guest Blogger #647, Entry #1542, September 1, 2012

Something that no one ever wants to hear is that they have asbestos in their home. But, what makes that even harder to process is when a home inspector tells you that it has been there longer than you would have ever imagined and that there were things that you could have done to prevent it from becoming such a huge infestation in your house.

Asbestos is common in older homes

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The problem with having this mineral fiber growing in your house is that breathing high levels of it can put you at serious risk for cancer of the lungs and chest as well as asbestosis, which is a serious scarring of the lung tissue. So, for obvious reasons, it’s best to stop asbestos before it stops.

Here are three things that you can do to identify asbestos in your home.

Know Where It Grows

The first thing to do is to be aware of exactly where asbestos tends to grow: steam pipes and furniture ducts; floor tiles; cement sheets and papers that are used as insulation; door gaskets; shingles and sidings; soundproofing material and also automobile brake pads and gaskets. As it relates to your house and where asbestos hazards are most commonly located, that would be roofing made with asbestos cement; older homes (especially between the 1930s-1950s) that used asbestos for insulation purposes; the walls and flooring around wood-burning stoves and fireplaces; vinyl floor tiles and adhesives and hot water and steam pipes that may have had a layer of asbestos insulation covering it. (Oh, and don’t forget the door gaskets too.)

How to Check for It

If you sense that there may be some asbestos growing within your house, the first thing to keep in mind is that there is no need to panic. The second thing to remember is that under no circumstances should you touch it. Signs to look for are wearing and tearing on the above mentioned items. Also look for if there is any water damage. If you do see some tear or abrasions, then you should either contact a professional asbestos home inspector or you should speak with an accredited state laboratory consultant in your area about the safest and easiest way for you to test for asbestos on your own.

Ensure your home is safe from asbestos

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What to Do in the Meantime

So, what happens if you do discover that you have asbestos growing in your house? Well, you won’t need to hire an Asbestos law firm in Texas or wherever it is you live if you take the right precautions in handling it. This would definitely include contracting a professional service to come and remove it. In the meantime, make sure to keep activities around the asbestos to a minimum; that you don’t do any dusting, sweeping or vacuuming in those areas; that you don’t attempt to sand or level out any flooring where asbestos may be and that you refrain from tracking asbestos throughout the house. If there are certain places that you have to walk through with asbestos that are unavoidable, use a damp mop to wipe down the area once you are done. For more information on how to deal with an asbestos infestation in your house, visit EPA.gov and put “asbestos in your home” in the search engine.

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