Years ago asbestos was the choice for fireproofing and insulating homes and buildings; today, asbestos is known to be dangerous due to fibers that can easily be drawn into your lungs causing asbestosis and lung cancer.
If your home was built prior to the mid 1970s there is a very good chance it contains asbestos. The material is not necessarily dangerous; it depends on whether the fibers can become airborne. If the fibers are airborne there is a distinct risk that they will be inhaled, causing lung damage. The only real way to tell if you are at risk in your own home is to engage the services of an asbestos inspector in Newport Beach CA.
How do you know if you have an asbestos problem?
It’s actually quite difficult to zero in on asbestos that might be in your home, especially if it is 40 years old or so. Asbestos was used back then in a wide variety of products, it is conceivable that every room in your home could have it in some form or another.
There are three culprits that are quite common:
- Stucco or acoustic ceilings
- Drywall surface texturing and joint compound, and
- Vinyl floor covering and tiles
Homes or buildings that have recently been renovated are less likely to pose asbestos problems but even at that it is always a good idea for an asbestos inspector in Newport Beach CA to run tests. There are kits available that allow you to take a sample and send it to lab for analysis but the EPA highly recommends that all testing for asbestos be carried out by a professional. A trained professional knows how to conduct a test without making the situation worse and knows if something contains asbestos or not which the majority of homeowners will not be aware of.