FOR NEARLY A CENTURY, asbestos was considered a miracle fiber—used in hundreds of home-construction materials because of its strengthening, fire-resistant and insulating properties. But overwhelming evidence now shows that long-term exposure to asbestos, mainly through inhalation, can cause a variety of debilitating lung diseases including asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer.

Left undisturbed and in good condition, asbestos-containing material poses no immediate hazard. But if it is friable (easily crumbled or crushed into powder) or if it is to be disturbed, such as during a remodeling, it presents a clear health danger. Roy Barnhart, HM’s building and remodeling editor, asked William Dundulis of the Rhode Island Asbestos Control Program to provide the answers readers will need before seeking the required professional services from testing laboratories, consultants and asbestos-control contractors. His counsel is particularly valuable because his program has done much to address the types of asbestos problems that homeowners typically face.

Where am I most likely to find asbestos problems in my home?
Most problems occur in the basement, such as in heating-pipe insulation that has degraded or been damaged, or in insulation on boilers and some water heaters. An often-overlooked source is the expansion-joint cloth just above the boiler in hot-air heating duct systems. That type of material can contain up to 70 percent asbestos and may become hazardous if the material begins to deteriorate. Of less concern is asbestos-cement board typically used behind wood stoves.

But it is a problem if the board is deteriorating. Vinyl-asbestos tile and sheet flooring (and its felt backing) become a problem during remodeling work…You should know that the standard recommendation would be to cover the flooring with underlayment and your new floor, not to remove it. In older homes, asbestos is found in some acoustical plasters and chopped up with other materials, as insulation in walls.

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Tags: asbestos, asbestosis, lung cancer, mesothelioma