Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous material. Prior to the 1980s, asbestos was commonly utilized in products and materials in the home building and construction process. It wasn’t until the late 1980s when scientists were able to spot a correlation between major health risks and the use of and exposure to asbestos that regulations were finally put in place to limit the use of asbestos. That said, if your home was built before the 1980s, there is a good chance that asbestos is somewhere in your home.
Where is Asbestos Found?
- Walls
- Insulation
- Attic
- Vinyl Flooring
- Roof
- Pipes
- Wall & Floor Tiles
- Cement
- Texturing Paint (I.E. Popcorn Ceiling)
Asbestos Exposure & Home Remodeling
It’s no secret that older homes will need remodeling at some point in time. When demolition begins, so does asbestos exposure. This is because the nature of a remodel revolves around tearing down, or disturbing, previously fixed elements of your home. When these elements are broken down, the asbestos becomes airborne, infiltrating the lungs of anyone breathing in and around the home. For instance, your construction crew tears down a wall, and the toxic asbestos within that material used to build the wall is released into the air. The same scenario applies when lifting old flooring or tile, deconstructing pipes, tearing out old insulation, etc. In addition, even minor scenarios may release asbestos into the air, such as drilling holes into your wall to hang a new painting. Because asbestos fibers are released when disrupted or damaged, the risks increase significantly during demolition when remodeling.
Does Your Home Contain Asbestos?
Asbestos is not something that can easily be seen or smelt. Thus, it is necessary to consult an accredited lab or professional asbestos testing service. During this process, samples will be collected and sent off to a lab who can identify the presence of asbestos in the materials of your home. If the sample comes back positive for asbestos, your expert team will impose various containment measures. Such measures include creating an airtight environment through plastic zip wall barriers, tape, and air seals, or utilizing a depressurizing blow that vents to the outside. Once the asbestos has been contained, then the team will begin the removal process. The team demolish, contain, and remove the toxic materials and then distribute them to the proper disposal facility who can then safely process the asbestos. Finally, your home can safely be remodeled and any worries about asbestos poisoning may be laid to rest.
Asbestos in Florida
Florida has the second highest rate of asbestos related death in the United States, with over 14,000 residents having died between 1999 and 2013 due to a condition brought on by asbestos in their home, such as mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. When inhaled, the fibrous strands that make up asbestos lodge themselves in the lung tissue. Asbestos continues to pose a danger to Floridians living in pre-1980 homes, especially those of older age.
