Asbestos--despite being carcinogenic to human life--would have otherwise been a very useful building material. I read somewhere that the ancient Greeks or Romans had asbestos napkins which they would throw into the fire to clean (the internet is not clear on whether it was the Greeks or the Romans). The napkins would not burn and would come out clean and white. It may be surprising to us now, but even the ancient Greeks & Romans noticed that the slaves who worked with this material would prematurely sicken and die. Why did it take modern society so long to do anything about it?
In most homes today you will find asbestos in tile flooring, external house siding, joint compound, attic insulation, and maybe even insulation around hot pipes. Before we started any project in our house, we often did check and worry about possible asbestos. Every time I had to check for asbestos I would wonder: what were the people who built with this stuff thinking? Why did they do it?
I have two possible answers. First, I think they used the asbestos material because it was what was mass marketed and mass produced at the time. Second, I don't think there was much thought put into what would happen when home owners would eventually have to remove or replace these materials. If there is any evidence that they thought what they built would last forever, all I have to do is look at my 1950's bathrooms, with 2 inch thick cement on the walls and floor. And for the most part, if you do not disturb the asbestos materials, they are generally not considered to be immediately hazardous.
The most common asbestos material that you will still find in public buildings today are the asbestos floor tiles. I know my elementary school had them in the whole building. They were routinely buffed and polished and were shiny and clean, but were still asbestos tiles. I have spotted asbestos tiles in my children's elementary school, and well as in older churches. Any building built between 1930 and 1970 could have these tiles. Older buildings which were renovated during that time period could have it, and even buildings built later, since builders could use excess asbestos stock even if they couldn't buy it.
There is so much history to asbestos which the current crop of homebuyers just do not know about. My father, who is of an older generation, remembers quite well building with this material, and it being very popular. When I was researching asbestos flooring a few years ago, I came across a copy of an old asbestos floor advertisement booklet. Needless to say, I was floored! But Seriously, when I first saw this booklet, I just couldn't believe it. This terrible material, responsible for so much human suffering, is right there, in an sales ad! Maybe this is how MY kids will feel when they see a cigarette ad in some historic archive. See the full booklet I am referencing here: https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Armstrong-Asphalt-Floor-Tile-Catalog-1955.PDF
I found that booklet from this website, which you can go to for more asbestos ads and information: https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Armstrong_Tile_List_1951-59.php
If you don't want to check out the link yourself, I have copied a snippet of the front cover below:
Check out that playroom! Haven't you always dreamed of playing in asbestos land? But, honestly, I am really not sure what the appeal of that floor tile was many years ago. I am not sure I would have installed it no matter how cheap it was. It really is just hideous-looking.
The sad reality is, there was a huge building boom in the U.S. during the prime asbestos years. Those houses and structures are still in use. Many of those structures are being renovated to modern materials and tastes. But will the people doing those renovations know to check for asbestos?
The first step to checking for asbestos is knowing that you could potentially have it. If you could have asbestos in the area you are renovating, just stop. Get it checked out. You can call a professional asbestos inspector, or you can send samples away to a test company yourself. Or, if you are very curious and want to test out how good the inspector is you can call an inspector AND send your own samples to a third party to check. I have done that myself.
You may not be concerned about your health in regards to asbestos, but you should be concerned for others. The material you disturb can get on your clothes, and in the air and can impact people other than just you. Do you want to bring home asbestos on your clothes and then wash it with your children's clothing?
You may not be aware, but most places have strict rules for disposing of asbestos containing materials. It is unlikely you will be able to dispose of it yourself in the appropriate way. All the more reason to contact a professional company.
If you turned to the internet to help you find information that supports whatever it is you were going to do anyway... well, then I recommend you stop reading this blog post, and look elsewhere. You will not find any stories here about how 'it will all be okay' if you just remediate it yourself. I know this is a 'do it yourself' blog, which means likely the audience is on a budget, but this is something you shouldn't do yourself. Part of being a homeowner is shouldering the financial burden of upkeeping your house. When you own an older home, you have the additional responsibility of diligently and properly updating it.
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