Drywall & Interior Plaster FAQ
Asbestos & Your Home
What is asbestos?
Asbestos is the name for a group of naturally occurring silicate minerals that can be separated into fibers. The fibers are strong, durable, and resistant to heat and fire. They are also long, thin and flexible, so that they can even be woven into cloth.Because of these qualities, asbestos has been used in thousands of consumer, industrial, maritime, automotive, scientific and building products. During the twentieth century, some 30 million tons of asbestos have been used in industrial sites, homes, schools, shipyards and commercial buildings in the United States.
There are several types of asbestos fibers, of which three have been used for commercial applications: (1) Chrysotile, or white asbestos, comes mainly from Canada, and has been very widely used in the US. It is white-gray in color and found in serpentine rock. (2) Amosite, or brown asbestos, comes from southern Africa. (3) Crocidolite, or blue asbestos, comes from southern Africa and Australia.
Amosite and crocidolite are called amphiboles. This term refers to the nature of their geologic formation.
Other asbestos fibers that have not been used commercially are tremolite, actinolite and anthophyllite, although they are sometimes contaminants in asbestos-containing products.
What are asbestos-containing products?
What is common to many asbestos-containing products is that they were (are) used to contain heat (i.e. thermal insulation.) It is impossible to list all of the products that have, at one time or another, contained asbestos. Some of the more common asbestos-containing products are pipe-covering, insulating cement, insulating block, asbestos cloth, gaskets, packing materials, thermal seals, refractory and boiler insulation materials, transite board, asbestos cement pipe, fireproofing spray, joint compound, vinyl floor tile, ceiling tile, mastics, adhesives, coatings, acoustical textures, duct insulation for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, roofing products, insulated electrical wire and panels, and brake and clutch assemblies.
Some of these products contained a very high proportion of asbestos, while others contained small amounts.
Why is asbestos still a problem?
Asbestos is still a problem because a great deal of it has been used in the United States and elsewhere, because many asbestos-containing products remain in buildings, ships, industrial facilities and other environments where the fibers can become airborne, and because of the serious human health hazards of inhaling asbestos.Some of these materials are also in residences and other buildings. To find out more information about asbestos-containing building products, check out:
"What kinds of building materials may contain asbestos?"
"Where might I find asbestos in my home?"
Why is asbestos a health hazard?
Asbestos particles are very small barbed fibers. These fibers are added to a bonding agent or glue to bind the material together. Once this process is complete it is formed into its final shape. The problem arises with the lapse of time. The bonding agent or glue that once held the asbestos together breaks down releasing the fibers, making the particles air born. Once airborne normal breathing can draw the asbestos fibers into the body, where they wind up embedding themselves and start to cause damage. Asbestos particles being different from dust are not easily removed by the body. The particles lodge themselves in the lungs. This medical condition is called Asbestosis.
If you suspect asbestos in your home
Have a survey done, or you can do this yourself. Have drawn or draw the asbestos areas, charting out in the form of a floor plan, the locations of suspected contamination. Make note of the approximate thickness, length and condition (crumbling, frayed edging, etc.) of the effected areas. This plan will be useful later, and will make you a more knowledgeable consumer when dealing with an asbestos contractor. I do not recommend dealing with this dangerous material yourself.
PLEASE TAKE SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS TO NOT DISTURB THE MATERIAL.
Removal vs. Containment?
Removal is not always the answer. Containment or encapsulation in many cases can prove to be the best all around choice.
There are many factors to consider:
 | Cost| Age of dwelling | The current condition of the asbestos | Will there be future renovations in that area | Future plans for the building (sale, demolition, remodel) | Relation of asbestos area to the rest of the building | |
The Project
There are three basic phases to an asbestos project:
PHASE I (Investigation, Information gathering, Planning, Permit preparation )
PHASE II (The actual project)
PHASE III (Removal, Clean up, Disposal)
Always consult and or contract with a licensed asbestos contractor.
All of the statements, opinions, specifications, and recommendations on Asbestos contained on this website is for general information purposes only and are not intended to imply that these are the only materials, methods, procedures, or processes which are available or suitable.
Always consult with your licensed building professional.
By publishing this web site K.E. McNurney, Inc. makes no express or implied warranty or other representation as to the quality, characteristics, or suitability of the materials or techniques described herein, and specifically disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose which may arise by operation of law or otherwise.