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Article Title: Asbestos in Your Home, Part Two
Author: Dariusz Rudnicki
Category: Home Improvement, Health
Word Count: 701
Keywords: transite pipe, Vermiculite insulation, asbestos paper wrap, Cement
asbestos roofing and siding
Author's Email Address: [email protected]
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
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The asbestos is one of those dangers that we can't see, and symptoms of
asbestos exposure usually take 20 - 40 years to develop ... but they're usually
100% fatal. So, getting yourself some basic education now, might be very
rewarding in a couple of decades ...
* friable - when dry, can be crumbled, pulverized, or reduced to powder by
hand pressure
* non-friable which cannot be reduced to powder by hand pressure
1. Transite pipe (non friable)- you can easily recognize one by removing the
register cover in the slab section of your house. It looks like a cement pipe
and will most likely have very rough, uneven edges around the opening (just
like on the pictures). Those rough edges are one problem, another one is that
Transite pipes are not flexible and often crack under or inside the slab
creating more rough surfaces and airborne fibers. If you suspect your air ducts
to be made out of asbestos containing cement - have a professional to take a
sample and laboratory test it - this is the only full-proof way to determine if
it contains asbestos and what kind of asbestos is it.
Another Transite pipe application was the chimney flue, or its insulation. As
an insulation performs well unless significantly deteriorated, falling apart
(just like on the picture, which often happens if used on exterior, above the
roof parts of the chimney).
Transite pipe used as a primary chimney flue, with no metal liner inside,
creates a problem when it cracks, and starts leaking exhaust fumes into the
attic or living area. Therefore, all vent pipes that pass through the house
living areas and the attics are now required to be double-walled, galvanized
metal, or Type-B, and I highly recommend replacing the Transite pipe and
disposing of it correctly.
2. Paper wrap insulation on heat vent flue pipes joints (friable) - when it
comes to water heater or furnace replacement, its vent pipe might need to
disassembled - if it is asbestos, this process should be done by a asbestos
professional.
3. Vermiculite insulation (friable)- is a silver-gold to gray-brown mineral
that is flat and shiny in its natural state and puffed and dull in its expanded
shape (EPA).
Tons of Vermiculite based material is still insulating the Chicago land homes,
usually in the attics and wall cavities, some of it might be heavily
contaminated with asbestos. This mineral was discovered near the town of Libby,
Montana (Grace mine) in 1881, and mined between the early '20s to the early
'90s (records indicate that 70 -80 percent of all vermiculite sold in the world
during that time came from the contaminated Libby, Montana mine), and
distributed under the name of "Zonolite". With or without asbestos Vermiculite
looks very much the same, and cannot be distinguished without laboratory
testing. So if you recognize in your home material that looks like one of the
pictures, make sure that you have it evaluated by a professional;
- don't disturb it (vacuuming, sweeping, dusting)
- if sweeping / cleaning is necessary, wet it first to make sure that no dust
is produced during this process
- stop any remodeling process during which Vermiculite was discovered or which
might cause Vermiculite disturbance.
4. Sprayed on Textures Ceilings (friable)- some of us love it, many use it
because it hides surface imperfections, and many more don't like it. When it
comes to remodeling you should test it for asbestos presence, because using a
traditional scraping method will produce plenty of dust.
5. Cement asbestos roofing and siding - no danger under normal conditions (non
friable), but it could add several thousands of dollars to your remodeling or
demolition project, when you're faced with removing it.
6. Fireproofing (friable and not friable) - asbestos containing panels of
various types (some resembling cement boards, or thick, cardboard like paper),
installed above the furnaces, surrounding furnace / water heater room, inside
the furnaces and boilers (I've seen some inside the old forced air furnaces
used a liner of a heat exchanger enclosure walls), as a furnace or water heater
insulation.
Local law might require that you perform asbestos inspection when applying for
a demolition or construction / remodeling permits, so check with them first.
Dariusz Rudnicki is a licensed Illinois home inspector who has been in this
business for over ten years. Are you preparing your house for sale or looking
for an advice on any type of problems with your house? All you need to do is
visit http://www.checkthishouse.com and ask him for help.
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