Asbestos Insulation
Asbestos is one of the strongest natural fibers and has been used as a building insulation material for a long time due to strength and capacity to resist heat. It can break up in microscopic nano fibers equivalent to the size of microns--fractions of millimeters—small enough to settle in lungs and cause incurable cancerous diseases in lungs and chest lining. Asbestos is hazardous only if it is broken and its fibers are released into air and breathed in.
Asbestos Insulation Article
It is difficult to identify the existence of asbestos in any material simply by looking at it unless it is labeled. If you are suspicious about the existence of asbestos, treat the material as if it contains the asbestos. Some areas where the asbestos can be found are seamless pipes, boilers and furnace ducts insulated with asbestos blanket or asbestos paper tape. Resilient floor tiles made of vinyl asbestos, asphalt and rubber, the backing on vinyl sheet flooring and the adhesive used for installing floor tiles, standing tiles may release fibers.
Cement sheet, mill board and paper used as insulation around the furnaces and wood burning stoves and repairing, cutting, tearing, sanding, drilling or sawing the insulation may be dangerous.
The door gaskets in furnaces, wood stoves and coal stoves, their worn out seals may release asbestos fibers during the use.
Soundproofing or decorative material sprayed on walls, patching and joint compounds for walls and ceilings, textured paints, asbestos cement roofing, shingles, siding, loose, crumbly or water-damaged material may release the fibers.
Artificial ashes and ambers sold for use in gas-fired fireplaces, old household products such as fireproof gloves, stove top pads, ironing board covers, certain hair dyers, automobile break pads, linings, clutch facings and gaskets may contain asbestos elements
Asbestos Insulation Removal
Make sure that there is no one else in the room or the attic when asbestos sampling is being carried out. Wear disposable gloves and wash hands after the sampling. Shut down any heating or cooling system to minimize the spread of the released fibers. Wet the asbestos material using a fine mist of water spray containing detergent so as to reduce the release of the asbestos fibers. The fiber piece should be cut carefully using a sharp knife and place the piece in a clean container, e.g., a 35 mm film canister, small glass or plastic vial or a high quality resealable plastic bag. Tightly seal the container with the asbestos sample in it. Patch the sampled area with duct tape to protect the fiber release.
