Where Is Asbestos

IS IT A PROBLEM IN YOUR HOUSE?

Asbestos is rarely used alone, and it is generally safe when combined with other materials with strong bonding agents. As long as the material remains bonded so that fibers are not released, it poses no health risk. But occasionally asbestos fibers become loose and airborne, most often when contained in soft, easily crumbled materials.

Most products made today do not contain asbestos. Those few products made which still contain asbestos that could be inhaled are required to be labeled as such. However, until the 1970s, many types of building products and insulation materials used in homes contained asbestos. Common products that might have contained asbestos in the past, and conditions which may release fibers, include:

• STEAM PIPES, BOILERS, and FURNACE DUCTS insulated with an asbestos blanket or asbestos paper tape. These materials may release asbestos fibers if damaged, repaired, or removed improperly.
  
  
• RESILIENT FLOOR TILES (vinyl asbestos, asphalt, and rubber), the backing on VINYL SHEET FLOORING, and ADHESIVES used for installing floor tile. Sanding tiles can release fibers. So may scraping or sanding the backing of sheet flooring during removal.
   
  
• CEMENT SHEET, MILLBOARD, and PAPER used as insulation around furnaces and wood-burning stoves. Repairing or removing appliances may release asbestos fibers. So may cutting, tearing, sanding, drilling, or sawing insulation.
   
• DOOR GASKETS in furnaces, wood stoves, and coal stoves. Worn seals can release asbestos fibers during use.
   
  
• SOUNDPROOFING OR DECORATIVE MATERIAL sprayed on walls and ceilings. Loose, crumbly, or water-damaged material may release fibers. So will sanding, drilling, or scraping the material.
   
• PATCHING AND JOINT COMPOUNDS for walls and ceilings, and TEXTURED PAINTS. Sanding, scraping, or drilling these surfaces may release asbestos.
   
•  ASBESTOS CEMENT ROOFING, SHINGELS, and SIDING. These products are not likely to release asbestos fibers unless sawed, drilled or cut.
   
•  ARTIFICIAL ASHES AND EMBERS sold for use in gas-fired fireplaces. Also, other older household products such as FIREPROOF GLOVES, STOVE-TOP PADS, IRONING BOARD COVERS, and certain HAIRDRYERS.
   
•  AUTOMOBILE BRAKE PADS AND LININGS, CLUTCH FACINGS, and GASKETS

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Asbestos may also occurs naturally. Ultramafic or serpentine rock material often contains asbestos. This type of rock is found in many parts of California, and is especially abundant in the costal regions. Asbestos may be found in dust from unpaved roads or driveways surfaced with ultramafic or serpentine rock.

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