Real Estate Consumer Issues (Pt. 1 asbestos)

Every home has potential hazards.  This series describes potential hazards you could find in a home you are looking to buy, and how to deal with them.  In pt. 1 we look at asbestos.

One of the best-known environmental hazards is asbestos. The following is just some of the materials in the home that can contain asbestos:

• Some roofing and siding shingles are made of asbestos cement.
  
• Houses built between 1930 and 1950 may have asbestos as insulation.
  
• Asbestos may be present in textured paint and in patching compounds used on wall and ceiling joints. Their use was banned in 1977.
  
• Artificial ashes and embers sold for use in gas-fired fireplaces may contain asbestos.
  
• Older products such as stove-top pads may have some asbestos compounds.
  
• Walls and floors around woodburning stoves may be protected with asbestos paper, millboard, or cement sheets.
  
• Asbestos is found in some vinyl floor tiles and the backing on vinyl sheet flooring and adhesives.
  
• Hot water and steam pipes in older houses may be coated with an asbestos material or covered with an asbestos blanket or tape.
  
• Oil and coal furnaces and door gaskets may have asbestos insulation.

 As you can see, beginning in the 1970s and into the 1980s asbestos was banned in most products in the United States.  As long as it remains in its original state, it is believed to be harmless. However, asbestos dust can cause lung cancer.  Asbestos materials turn into dust when they age and begin to disintegrate, or when they are damaged or removed during remodeling projects.  Breathing this dust is what causes the potential risk.

If asbestos is present in a building, it can be dealt with in one of three ways by an experienced professional:

1. placing an airtight barrier between the asbestos and the rest of the space (this is called enclosure);
2. covering the asbestos with an adhesive that permanently seals in the asbestos fibers (this is called encapsulation); or
3. removing the asbestos material.

Asbestos Do's And Don'ts For The Homeowner

• Do keep activities to a minimum in any areas having damaged material that may contain asbestos.
  
• Do take every precaution to avoid damaging asbestos material.
  
• Do have removal and major repair done by people trained and qualified in handling asbestos. It is highly recommended that sampling and minor repair also be done by asbestos professionals.
  
• Don't dust, sweep, or vacuum debris that may contain asbestos.
  
• Don't saw, sand, scrape, or drill holes in asbestos materials.
  
• Don't use abrasive pads or brushes on power strippers to strip wax from asbestos flooring. Never use a power stripper on a dry floor.
  
• Don't sand or try to level asbestos flooring or its backing. When asbestos flooring needs replacing, install new floorcovering over it, if possible.
  
• Don't track material that could contain asbestos through the house. If you cannot avoid walking through the area, have it cleaned with a wet mop. If the material is from a damaged area, or if a large area must be cleaned, call an asbestos professional.

For more information on Asbestos and removal, contact the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency.