Asbestos was mainly used to construct many homes and buildings in the 80s. During that time, asbestos was regarded as the best material for its durability and lightness. It wasn’t until the early 90s that people who has respiratory complications traced back their symptoms to asbestos exposure. Since then, the harmful material has been banned, but its remnants are yet to be fully eradicated.
In this article, we share insights on what makes asbestos dangerous and why you should seek professional help in getting rid of it. This is especially important if you suspect that your home or office building is contaminated with asbestos.
Is it really that bad?
Over many years, many cases have popped up all over the world of respiratory illnesses caused by asbestos exposure. Further research has shown that the human body cannot decompose asbestos fibres, and so they are left unmoved in the lungs when inhaled.
Prolonged exposure leads to cancers such as mesothelioma where tumors develop in the lungs due to asbestos. These effects do not show until many years after the first exposure, which means that a person might be exposed, but he or she doesn’t even know it yet. This makes asbestos a seriously dangerous material that must be handled properly.
Your first line of defense is to know whether or not your house has asbestos. Your home is where you spend most of your time, so make sure that every nook and cranny is free from this quiet killer. Here are some common signs that your house might be contaminated with asbestos:
Buildings built in the 80s and earlier.
As mentioned, both friable and non-friable asbestos were very common in the 80s and even earlier decades. It helps to have an extensive knowledge on when your house was built and how it was built. You will usually know this when you first talk to the real estate agent.
But if you are renting, you might have a harder time as some landlords might hide this information from you. In some rare cases, landlords themselves might not even know. When you can’t do either, you can reach out to an agency and have them trace the origins of the house.
Know the common areas where it’s used.
In Australia, many homes and public structures like schools, government housing, and office buildings built before the 1980s contain asbestos in the following areas:
- Cement
- Roof shingles
- Steam pipes
- Ceiling and floor tiles
- Textured paint
- Spray-on insulation
When disturbed, such as when you are doing some renovations or perhaps you accidentally scraped the surface of these areas, they can disperse asbestos fibres in the air. Inhaling these fibres is extremely dangerous, so get them removed by professional asbestos removal companies as soon as possible.
Check for brake dust in the home garage.
Older brakes and even foreign-made brakes may contain asbestos. Some manufacturing companies still make brakes using asbestos long after the ban on the material has been put in place. Be especially careful when buying second-hand brakes that are covered with dust.
Spraying them with compressed air can further release harmful toxic fibres into the air. When dealing with these brakes, better use wet cloth to wipe them gently with. Better yet, wrap them safely in plastic and dispose them properly.
Beware of popcorn ceilings.
Popcorn ceilings were extremely trendy in the early 60s. Unfortunately, some of these popcorn-finish ceilings encapsulates asbestos fibres. Scraping them off can instantly release these asbestos fibres in the air and may even stay on surfaces indefinitely.
Renovating is tough and you might be tempted to scrape them off yourself to save some money, but suffering from the harmful effects of asbestos can even be more costly.
Doing a visual inspection is not enough.
Simply being able to spot asbestos contamination is not enough. The best method to detect asbestos is to take a sample of suspected asbestos-ridden area, like a piece of a floor tile. Wrap the sample securely in a container and have it sent to a certified laboratory for analysis. With this precise test, you can know for sure whether you are at risk for asbestos exposure or not.
Get the assurance that you need from professional asbestos removal companies like AW Removed.
Handling asbestos requires a team of professionals and a complete set of quality equipment. You cannot just handle it half-heartedly and hope for the best. You either do it right yourself, or have professionals get rid of asbestos for you.
AW Removed is your trusted partner when it comes to asbestos removals in Australia. You can rely on our professional services for getting rid of the threats of asbestos to your health. Our services range from asbestos detection to full asbestos sweep in your home or building.
Protect yourself and your family from the dangers of asbestos today. Call us at (03) 9798 3891.