How to Identify Asbestos
If you grew up in a home built before the 1980s, then you may have had to learn how to identify asbestos. But, unless you’ve done additions, renovations, expansions, or any other work on such a home, there’s a chance that you never had to learn ways to know if you encountered asbestos or not. Asbestos materials were used for many years in various parts of homes to aid in their construction.
From knowing how to identify asbestos to knowing the dangers of it if it goes undetected can all aid in asbestos safety in the home. At Michigan Better Environmental, we care about the safety of all, so we’re here to share asbestos risks, provide asbestos training through information, and offer asbestos testing where and when it’s needed.
Does My Home Contain Asbestos?
The first question homeowners usually ask with asbestos safety is whether or not their home will subject them to asbestos exposure. Depending on when and how your home was built, various construction materials could have asbestos in them. It could have asbestos insulation, asbestos cement, or a variety of other materials containing asbestos fibers. For most materials outside of home construction, asbestos was only used in vintage consumer products.
This is why it’s important, if you’re unsure about the presence of asbestos in your home, to test and ensure you don’t accidentally expose yourself to asbestos textiles, insulation, and more. Although it might not have an immediate effect, lung cancer in asbestos typically develops at least a decade after first exposure to asbestos. Even if you aren’t directly disturbing the asbestos materials and interacting with them, asbestos breaks down over time. This can lead to prolonged and repeated exposure that leads to asbestos-related diseases.
How Dangerous is Asbestos Exposure?
The difficulty of being exposed to asbestos fibers is that they are small enough that when inhaled or consumed accidentally, it often goes unnoticed. But, even a minor exposure can cause complications. If you think that you may have been exposed to asbestos, then best practice is to immediately let your doctor know. Depending on your health, your age, and how much you were exposed, they’ll have a better idea of what to expect and how to potentially help you in the long-term. Mesothelioma can take 20 to 60 years to develop after exposure, so you need a long-term plan in place if exposure occurs.
On a positive note, when left alone, asbestos fibers and building materials are generally harmless. This is why having a professional inspect your home for potential asbestos exposure is so important.
Identifying Asbestos Textiles, Cement, and More
Because there is so much variety with asbestos products in older homes, from asbestos gaskets to asbestos insulation and more, it’s important to know how to identify it. Unfortunately, this isn’t simple to do. Identifying asbestos from simple sight alone is practically impossible. In order find and remove asbestos, you need to usually send in samples of floor tiles, attic insulation, or whatever else you suspect contains asbestos to a professional lab.
While collecting such a sample, it’s important to wear the proper ventilation mask, to prevent inhalation of any asbestos particles. Once collected you can send it to a lab. But, obviously the safest route is to have a professional asbestos management company handle even the sample collecting for you to ensure no one is unnecessarily exposed.
Stay Safe from Asbestos Containing Materials
As mentioned, the best way to stay safe against cement roofs, popcorn ceilings, and other hazardous, asbestos-filled materials in your home is to trust professionals to help. Michigan Better offers guidance on how to deal with asbestos that you suspect within your home. Because of the health risks involved, if you have any concerns at all, we recommend you reach out. Our team will help find the best solution to get to the bottom of the materials used in your home and to make for a safer living space!
