First, what is asbestos?

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral and is distinguished from other minerals by the fact that its crystals form into long, thin fibers. Asbestos fibers are long, narrow and bind easily with materials used in construction. Asbestos is also used in fire proofing because of its excellent heat resistance.

Any building material that contains greater than 1% of asbestos must be treated as asbestos containing material. (This is determined with an property inspection or through our asbestos testing.)

Did you know, Asbestos is still being mined and asbestos containing products are still being manufactured. The countries of Russia, Kazakhstan, China, Canada, Brazil, and Zimbabwe accounted for 95% of the world’s production.

Asbestos is an excellent thermal insulator, a good noise insulator, and is resistant to the effects of friction and most chemicals.  The qualities that make asbestos an excellent building material also make it the environmental problem that it is today. In fact you can still buy asbestos products at your local hardware store. Therefore, your house might have asbestos, no matter its age.

Asbestos can be anywhere and in any type of building. You will not be able to tell whether a material contains asbestos simply by looking at it, unless it is labeled. You can simply treat the material as if it contains asbestos or have an asbestos inspection and/or sampling performed.

Terms you should know:

• Friable - Anything that you can condense to powder with hand pressure. (examples: acoustic plaster, fireproofing, pipe insulation, ceiling tile)
• Non-friable - The asbestos fibers are typically released when the materials become damaged or disturbed. (floor tile, transite panels)

And why is it harmful?

Asbestos has been found to cause permanent health issues with the most potentially hazardous route of exposure being inhalation. The three main diseases that result from asbestos are asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer.

NOTE:   The EPA does not recognize a safe level of asbestos exposure.