Many older homes built before 1980 contain asbestos in the floor tiles, ceiling tiles, roof shingles, and other parts of the home. If you’re a new homeowner, you’ll want to make sure your old home that you purchased does not contain asbestos. If it does, you’ll need to have it removed. First Choice Inspectors can help you with inspecting all your home’s components.
The Health Hazards of Asbestos
Inhaling asbestos can happen without your knowledge and medical issues can happen over a period of decades if exposed to this dangerous substance. Symptoms and conditions may not appear until years later of living in the home.
Friable Asbestos – This means that the asbestos contains materials that are dangerous. Friable asbestos are fibers that can be disturbed. This is what we have to be cautious about. Many materials contain asbestos, but they aren’t harmful because the material is stable. This is what has to be inspected.
Here are some health hazards:
- Asbestosis (high exposures over a long time) – Breathing becomes much more difficult because of scarring in the lungs.
- Pleural Disease – Non-cancerous lung condition when plaque and fluid build-up occur around the lungs.
- Lung Cancer – Malignant tumor that blocks lung’s passages. Smoking tobacco and exposure to asbestos increases chance of lung cancer.
- Mesothelioma – This is a rare cancer of the membrane that covers the lungs and chest cavity. Signs could appear 30-40 years later after long exposure to asbestos.
Asbestos Removal
This is not conducted by First Choice Inspectors, but we can come in and inspect your home for any disrupted asbestos that may be in your home if it was built before the 1980s. Asbestos can be found in many materials, but it isn’t always harmful.
The cleanup of asbestos is governed by state and federal regulations. It can become tricky because the mechanism of demolition and isolating the fibers for safe removal is a major factor.
Contact First Choice Inspectors for a home inspection of your old home. We can determine if the asbestos in your home is hazardous when considering demolition or renovation. Contact us at 773-429-9711!