Testing for Asbestos Contaminated Floor Tiles

If you have an older home that includes certain typesof flooring such as asphalt tiles, vinyl and even sheet vinyl, it may have beeninstalled using asbestos. It may surprise many to learn that asbestos has beenused for 100's of years in many cultures. It was used due to its strength,durability, and anti-inflammatory properties.

Unfortunately, during the industrial revolution,asbestos became very popular and, at the time, was thought to be a goodmaterial for use building new homes and businesses. Of course, by the 1980's,the link between asbestos and mesothelioma was no longer able to be challengedby the makers. It was clear that asbestos was not the safe, durable productthat had been advertised.

Of course, the use of asbestos fell sharply, but manyhomes and businesses were left with asbestos walls, ceilings and flooring.

What if My Tile Floor Tests Positive for Asbestos?

Tile flooring that was installed between the 1950'sand through the early 1980's may contain asbestos. If the tiles are in goodshape, tightly intact and there is no reason to remove them. You cannot becomecontaminated by asbestos simply by walking on a tiled flooring in whichasbestos was used. Generally, you cannot tell if the tile was installed usingasbestos just by visually looking at it.

Asbestos becomes dangerous when you disturb it, bypulling up the tile and placing new tile or flooring. The dust and fumes canget into your lungs, and you may become sick several years later. Many peoplemay have replaced their floor tiles without even realizing that they containedasbestos, which means that they took no precautions when replacing theflooring.

Many people who are exposed to asbestos when it isdisturbed, by actions such as changing tiles, may be at risk for developingmesothelioma, a serious asbestos related cancer. Now that the health concernsregarding asbestos have been exposed, it is vital to avoid removing tile inyour home if it was installed before 1980. Instead, you will want to have ittested by a professional to see if asbestos is present. If asbestos is present,then you have to decide with the help of the professional the best course ofaction. If the tile is loose and chipped, replacing it may be the best option.

You do not want to take on the removal process on yourown. You will need to hire a professional to come in and change out the tile sothat they do so without causing risk to you and your family.

Final Thoughts

Many people who have been unknowingly exposed toasbestos have become ill years later with several different kinds of cancers,breathing issues and heart problems.

Identifying the Dangers of Asbestos in Floor Tiles

Asbestos in floor tiles are usually safe and even legal to keep in homes, unless they get disturbed in any way. As long as it remain in good condition, harmful asbestos fibers will never be released into the air to pose any health threat. But if you are planning to remodel your house and give its tiles a new look, it is best to consult with professionals first before even attempting to remove the floor tiles on your own.

Asbestos in Floor Tiles

For houses that have been built before 1985, a home asbestos test is a must. The dangers that an asbestos contamination poses to your family's health are numerous, and keeping on the safe side is always your best choice. Just as with asbestos in textured ceiling and in any other materials suspected of asbestos content, analysis should only be done by a qualified asbestos testing laboratory. A sample for this analysis should also be taken by a highly trained professional to prevent asbestos from contaminating the air inside your house.

A test for asbestos can lessen, if not completely eliminate the dangers of asbestos contamination in your home. Although it has been banned from use, some old houses may still have asbestos-containing materials built into it. Asbestos in tiles will not pose a threat unless the flooring gets cracked or damaged in any way. When this happens, attempting to fix or remove the damaged floor tile may not be a good idea. Again, a professional should be consulted to handle this problem.

Various environmental elements like heat, weathering, water and aging can weaken and make the tiles friable and more susceptible to damage. Friable floor tiles that are in danger of crumbling and becoming pulverized should be isolated and managed immediately. Floorings that are possibly asbestos containing should never be fixed or removed without proper precautions. Types that potentially contain asbestos include:

• asphalt-based floor tiles

• vinyl floor tiles

• sheet linoleum

• other older flooring materials glued down by mastic laced with asbestos

Asbestos testing in homes will keep your family safe from the health risks posed by asbestos inhalation. Lung diseases that include asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer can be prevented by proper management of asbestos content.

If you prefer to take a sample of the flooring on your own to send to an accredited laboratory, be advised on how to do it right. Taking a flooring sample for asbestos testing is best done by a sharp knife. Scraping the surface of the tile may not be enough as it is ideal to get a square inch sample that has the mastic used to glue it to the floor.

Replacing asbestos floor tiles is not easy and attempts at removing them should be consulted with a professional first. Asbestos in floor tiles when released by any type of disturbance may lead to long-term indoor air contamination. Professionals may disapprove of removing the floor tiles, especially when they are fairly intact. However, renovations can be done by installing a new layer of flooring over the ones that have asbestos content.

The Many Varieties Of Asbestos

Did you know that there is more than one type of asbestos? Many people are unaware of this and are basically shocked when they do learn about it. As it is, there is simply not enough information out there for people to really get all of the guidance that they need. The more you know about asbestos, including the various types that are out there, the safer you and your loved ones will be.

The Many Varieties Of Asbestos

You need to first understand that there are two separate families of asbestos. Within those two separate families are different kinds of asbestos. The two separate asbestos families are Amphibole and Serpentine. The main difference between the two families would be the structure of the mineral crystals. The mineral fibers that are in the Amphibole family of asbestos is sort of chain-like. The mineral fibers of the Serpentine family is more of layered sheets.

Within the Amphibole family, there is four different types of asbestos. These types are known as Amosite, Crocidolite, Actinolite and Anthophllite. You will find that Amosite is also known as "brown asbestos" and it is commonly found in the South Africian mines. Then you have the Crocidolite, which is sometimes referred to as "blue asbestos". This type of asbestos can be found in Canada, South Africa, the former Soviet Union and Austria. Actinolite is a rarer form of asbestos but still one to be cautious of because of the danger it presents.

As far as what you will find in the United States, you have Chrysotile, from the Serpentine family. This particular asbestos actually presents roughly 95% of all of the cases of asbestos in the U.S.

No matter which exact form of asbestos you are looking at, it is extremely dangerous. The asbestos fibers are very durable and should be approached with caution. These fibers are fire and heat resistant and they become airborne easier. Once these fibers are in the air, they can be trapped there for a long time. Even once the fibers settle, they are easily able to be stirred back up. When the asbestos fibers make it into the air and into the lungs of a person, serious damage is caused. However, the effects of the asbestos is usually not present for many years. In some cases, problems from the asbestos exposure may not surface for 40 years.

As you can imagine, this is a quiet, yet very deadly mineral that you have to be cautious of and that might just be harder to do than you think. This is because asbestos was used in hundreds of various materials that were used in the construction of homes for many years. If you have asbestos behind the wall you are probably fine. However, should you ever need to remodel or have a broken wall, you may be at risk for asbestos exposure and you will want to seek immediate help. Talk to professionals that are experienced in the proper removal of asbestos. If you are unsure as to whether or not your home contains asbestos, contact a professionally trained company to test your home. This is not something that you are going to want to wait on if you suspect that there may be asbestos in your home.

Flipping Houses and Asbestos

In the most recent real estate boom market, it became very popular for individuals to buy run-down houses in growing neighborhoods and fix them up making them look a thousand times better. This profit-heavy "industry" allowed many people to make serious amounts of money quickly.  

The entire enterprise of flipping houses revolved around making minor and major improvements to houses on a very tight time schedule. The houses were then re-vamped with modern fixtures, plumbing, and countertops and re-sold at a much higher price than the one at which the "flipper" bought them. 

While this was a great alternative to buying a home and tearing it down completely, it might have exposed a number of individuals who were heavily invested in the industry to asbestos. This is because many of the homes that were flipped nationwide were older homes that were actually built during the heydays of asbestos. The homes could have included asbestos in everything from the insulation that was torn apart when walls were torn down to the glue holding linoleum tiles in place in the kitchen. Wherever it was, there is a good chance that a flipper was exposed to asbestos at some point, particularly if he or she was flipping homes built prior to 1980.

The homes built in this country prior to 1980 were exceedingly likely to contain asbestos in at least some part of the home. This could be in the insulation, the flooring, the ceiling, or anything else. These are all products that are frequently shredded and torn down during the flipping process. What this means is that the asbestos was disturbed when the mallet went through the wall to make the master closet bigger. 

When the fibers are disturbed, they become dangerous. Asbestos is not nearly as dangerous if people know it exists and take steps to contain it or remove it properly. However, in flipping, people rarely take much time to stop and consider the potential for asbestos as its presence in homes is frequently unknown.

By just tearing through walls and gutting homes without inspecting everything for asbestos first, flippers across the country may have exposed not just themselves to the dangers of asbestos but also any contractor that performed work on the home as well. In addition to contractors, the home's new owners could also have been exposed to the deadly fiber. The fibers themselves are microscopic and could have been inadvertently left floating around the home.

Asbestos Testing for Contaminated Floor Tiles

If you have an older home that includes certain types of flooring such as asphalt tiles, vinyl and even sheet vinyl, it may have been installed using asbestos. It may surprise many to learn that asbestos has been used for 100's of years in many cultures. It was used due to its strength, durability, and anti-inflammatory properties.

Unfortunately, during the industrial revolution, asbestos became very popular and, at the time, was thought to be a good material for use building new homes and businesses. Of course, by the 1980's, the link between asbestos and mesothelioma was no longer able to be challenged by the makers. It was clear that asbestos was not the safe, durable product that had been advertised.

Asbestos insulation

Of course, the use of asbestos fell sharply, but many homes and businesses were left with asbestos walls, ceilings and flooring.

What if My Tile Floor Tests Positive for Asbestos? 

Tile flooring that was installed between the 1950's and through the early 1980's may contain asbestos. If the tiles are in good shape, tightly intact and there is no reason to remove them. You cannot become contaminated by asbestos simply by walking on a tiled flooring in which asbestos was used. Generally, you cannot tell if the tile was installed using asbestos just by visually looking at it.

Asbestos becomes dangerous when you disturb it, by pulling up the tile and placing new tile or flooring. The dust and fumes can get into your lungs, and you may become sick several years later. Many people may have replaced their floor tiles without even realizing that they contained asbestos, which means that they took no precautions when replacing the flooring.

Many people who are exposed to asbestos when it is disturbed, by actions such as changing tiles, may be at risk for developing mesothelioma, a serious asbestos related cancer. Now that the health concerns regarding asbestos have been exposed, it is vital to avoid removing tile in your home if it was installed before 1980. Instead, you will want to have it tested by a professional to see if asbestos is present. If asbestos is present, then you have to decide with the help of the professional the best course of action. If the tile is loose and chipped, replacing it may be the best option.

You do not want to take on the removal process on your own. You will need to hire a professional to come in and change out the tile so that they do so without causing risk to you and your family.

Final Thoughts 

Many people who have been unknowingly exposed to asbestos have become ill years later with several different kinds of cancers, breathing issues and heart problems.

Amosite is the second most popular type of asbestos

There are different types of asbestos. However; some types are commonly used than others .Among the most commonly used are the Chrysotile which is a member of the serpentine group. It's used in adhesives, fire doors. Plaster and texture coatings among many more. Vinyl tiles are also made with asbestos as one of the components hence an s a result of this common use; asbestos surveys have been enforced by government agencies.

Amosite is the second most popular type of asbestos. Most buildings in the Unites States of America have this type of asbestos ad a constituent. They are used in low density boards for insulation, insulations that cover chemicals and many more. There are many types of water and construction pipes that have been made with asbestos hence it is so widely used.

 The health hazards that asbestos cause makes asbestos surveys a necessity. The Chrysotile is the main cause of tumors that affect many animals. Human beings that work in areas where this type of asbestos is available may also suffer from Mesothelimus.Pleural plagues and the Asbestos warts are other diseases that people who are exposed to asbestos suffer from.

Asbestos have been banned in the United States and although this has been done, regular asbestos surveys are still done to make sure that the damage that it can cause is mitigated. Many countries the world over have also done this since the amount of suffering that asbestos can cause is irreversible. The chemicals in it are very toxic hence every government should ensure that its population is protected from the adverse effects of this abrasive chemical. Other than educating the people about the potential dangers, continuous asbestos survey can help a lot.

It's advisable that you avoid using materials that has asbestos in them. There are many building materials that are still available in the   shops which have some asbestos in them. It's advisable that you take the necessary conditions to conduct careful asbestos survey on the materials that were used to manufacture the materials. It's advisable that you ask the processionals who understands about building materials or consult the manufacturers guide.

Asbestos survey is a critical requirement that   can help save lives of both human beings and animals. There are many people who are not aware of the presence of asbestos amidst themselves hence endangering their lives a lot. It's important that you hire the services of a qualified asbestos expert to help look at your needs and take the necessary steps to ensure that you are not exposed to the hazards of asbestos.