{"id":1702,"date":"2021-09-08T15:01:06","date_gmt":"2021-09-08T15:01:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/goodstuffconnections.com\/?p=1702"},"modified":"2021-09-08T15:01:08","modified_gmt":"2021-09-08T15:01:08","slug":"get-serious-about-asbestos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/goodstuffconnections.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/08\/get-serious-about-asbestos\/","title":{"rendered":"Get Serious About Asbestos"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>What should you do if you find Asbestos in your house?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Asbestos was an incredibly common component of many building materials, from roofing and siding to floor tile, pipe insulation, and even spackles and surface compounds!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because Asbestos was used in so many products, and for so many different purposes, it\u2019s still very common to find building materials in homes today that still contain Asbestos.&nbsp; But what is Asbestos and, more importantly, what should you do if you come across something that you think may contain Asbestos?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is Asbestos?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that was mined, crushed, and mixed into building materials and household products.&nbsp; Chosen for its unique properties, such as heat resistance, durability, sound dampening, and hydrophobic qualities, Asbestos was viewed at the time as a miracle material.&nbsp; It was used to make materials like floor tile stronger, pipe insulation heat resistant, and even to add a level of soundproofing to rooms!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, the more we used Asbestos, the more we ultimately learned about the health effects caused by Asbestos exposure.&nbsp; Today, Asbestos is used in very few products, and we continue to work to remove Asbestos from homes where it was installed previously and replace it with safer alternatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is Asbestos dangerous?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes.&nbsp; The health effects of Asbestos exposure are well documented and include lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis, among other serious diseases and conditions.&nbsp; Asbestos fibers are extremely small and are able to get lodged in airways, lungs, and the lining of the stomach, ultimately causing health effects that can develop years later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where is Asbestos most commonly found in homes?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>As mentioned earlier, Asbestos was included in many, many, building materials.&nbsp; An extremely popular material at the time, Asbestos was even used in household products like oven mitts, tablecloths, and hair dryers!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, when considering what building materials may contain Asbestos in a home, many materials are suspect.&nbsp; A few of the most common materials we still see in homes today are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Asbestos pipe insulation \u2013 This is most often found on heat pipes in basements or exterior walls.<\/li><li>Asbestos floor tile &amp; Asbestos floor mastic (glue) \u2013 Reminiscent of vinyl or VCT, Asbestos floor tiles are seen in both 9\u201d and 12\u201d floor tiles, as well as sheet products.<\/li><li>Asbestos siding \u2013 A rigid product that usually looks like oversized vinyl siding, Asbestos siding can also be found behind newer vinyl siding that may have been installed over it.<\/li><li>Asbestos surfacing compound \u2013 Sometimes resembling cement, other times more reminiscent of plaster, Asbestos surfacing compound can most often be found on boilers, pipe knuckles, or plumbing fittings.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What should you do if you suspect a building material may contain Asbestos?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>If you believe that a building material may contain Asbestos, or are concerned that it may, testing is available to determine if the material contains Asbestos and to what extent.&nbsp; Asbestos was used in many products, and whether the material is Asbestos containing or not often cannot be determined through a visual inspection alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the meantime, and until it\u2019s confirmed that the material is safe, it\u2019s important not to disturb it.&nbsp; If the material is in poor condition or is damaged, it\u2019s recommended to close off the area and to avoid the space until a qualified professional is able to inspect the material and determine if it contains Asbestos.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;The State of Pennsylvania requires that all Asbestos Testers be licensed with the state to provide this service and lists all actively licensed testers on their website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What should you do if you have Asbestos in your home?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Due to the potential hazards, removal of Asbestos containing materials should be performed by a qualified, and properly licensed, Asbestos Abatement Contractor.&nbsp; These contractors are specially trained to perform this work safely using proven methods and processes and are licensed by the State of Pennsylvania to perform this work.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s important to consider the potential risk that improper Asbestos Abatement presents.&nbsp; In cases where Asbestos containing materials are removed without following adequate safety protocols and abatement standards, Asbestos fibers can be released from the material and contaminate the property.&nbsp; For this reason, Asbestos Abatement projects should be performed by qualified firms that are able to perform this work properly and safely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We hope this answers some questions about Asbestos and what options are available to you if you have Asbestos in your home. &nbsp;As always, if you have any additional questions, please don\u2019t hesitate to contact our offices, we\u2019re happy to help.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What should you do if you find Asbestos in your house? Asbestos was an incredibly common component of many building materials, from roofing and siding&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1680,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,8,7,59],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1702","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-home","category-popular","category-safety-tips"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/goodstuffconnections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1702","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/goodstuffconnections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/goodstuffconnections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodstuffconnections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodstuffconnections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1702"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/goodstuffconnections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1702\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1703,"href":"https:\/\/goodstuffconnections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1702\/revisions\/1703"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodstuffconnections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1680"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/goodstuffconnections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1702"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodstuffconnections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1702"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodstuffconnections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1702"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}