Asbestos-Containing Materials Pose Hazard

Prior to the early 1980’s, asbestos use was common among contractors in the U.S. Asbestos is an efficient insulator and, when mixed with products like fabric, paper, and cement, a strengthener- thus its popularity in building and construction. These properties made asbestos rewarding and preferable for businesses, but home builders rapidly discovered that the fibers from the mineral compound were extremely harmful. This discovery has caused the requirement for more circumstances of asbestos reduction in the last few years.

Because of its adaptability, it’s difficult to identify every possible product containing asbestos. A few areas could include:

Fireproofing– Fire doors, fire curtains

Insulation– HVAC duct, sprayed-in insulation, electrical wiring insulation

Siding, Roofing, Tiles– shingles, cement siding, panels, floor covering support, vinyl sheet flooring

Spackling and Covering Compounds– caulking, adhesives, tapes

Textiles– blankets, protective fabrics

Texture Products– “popcorn” ceilings, acoustical plaster, decorative plaster

Setup of asbestos-containing materials mostly ceased when lawmakers developed limitations in the late 1970’s. What could not be helped by legislation, nevertheless, were the numerous circumstances where asbestos was already present. To this day, dated buildings still pose a risk of having asbestos-containing items. (You can see more on the history of asbestos here.).

Although structures constructed after 1980 likely do not contain contaminated items, demolition or restoration still requires bulk testing by a licensed expert. The expert sends out samples to an approved lab for screening. When assembling the outcomes for usage by the structure owner, the outcomes are an “asbestos structure study”.