Having just read a article in Ontario Construction Safety magazine on the new regulations on Asbestos removal however I feel I am not educated enough. Renovating homes for a living I have no idea what building products contain Asbestos and where it was used to fireproof building materials. I realise how important it is to remove asbestos by experts, however how do I know when I come up against Asbestos and put myself and my employees at risk.
Is there a list anywhere, on any web site that could help educate the building trade on building products that could contain Asbestos and how to recognise it.
George
Replies
I don't know of such a list offhand. Here are a few materials that often contained asbestos.
It has been used in clapboard; shingles and felt for roofing; exterior siding; pipe and boiler covering; compounds and cement, such as caulk, putty, roof patching, furnace cement and driveway coating; wallboard; textured and latex paints; acoustical ceiling tiles and plaster; vinyl floor tiles; appliance wiring; hair dryers; irons and ironing board pads; flame-resistant aprons and electric blankets; and clay pottery. Loose-fill vermiculite insulation may contain traces of “amphibole” asbestos
I feel a need to partially correct that list, or a word in itRoofing tarpaper was made with two different bases. One as you mentioned is asbestos, used for commercial jobs where fire rating was required. The more common was a rag felt base used in most residential construction. The asbestos based was called asbestos roll, and the felt based was called felt. I didn't hink it was appropriate to let every HO get woprked up that maybe the tarpaper on theior hosue was full of asbestos when the chances are almost nil.Same for "shingles". itr was only the asbestos shingles that contained aasbestos, not the fibreglass, and felt based composition shingles
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From the EPA website, http://www.epa.gov/iaq/asbestos.html
Where Can I Find Asbestos And When Can It Be A Problem?
Most products made today do not contain asbestos. Those few products made which still contain asbestos that could be inhaled are required to be labeled as such. However, until the 1970s, many types of building products and insulation materials used in homes contained asbestos. Common products that might have contained asbestos in the past, and conditions which may release fibers, include:
STEAM PIPES, BOILERS, and FURNACE DUCTS insulated with an asbestos blanket or asbestos paper tape. These materials may release asbestos fibers if damaged, repaired, or removed improperly.
RESILIENT FLOOR TILES (vinyl asbestos, asphalt, and rubber), the backing on VINYL SHEET FLOORING, and ADHESIVES used for installing floor tile. Sanding tiles can release fibers. So may scraping or sanding the backing of sheet flooring during removal.
CEMENT SHEET, MILLBOARD, and PAPER used as insulation around furnaces and woodburning stoves. Repairing or removing appliances may release asbestos fibers. So may cutting, tearing, sanding, drilling, or sawing insulation.
DOOR GASKETS in furnaces, wood stoves, and coal stoves. Worn seals can release asbestos fibers during use.
SOUNDPROOFING OR DECORATIVE MATERIAL sprayed on walls and ceilings. Loose, crumbly, or water-damaged material may release fibers. So will sanding, drilling, or scraping the material.
PATCHING AND JOINT COMPOUNDS for walls and ceilings, and TEXTURED PAINTS. Sanding, scraping, or drilling these surfaces may release asbestos.
ASBESTOS CEMENT ROOFING, SHINGLES, and SIDING. These products are not likely to release asbestos fibers unless sawed, dilled, or cut.
ARTIFICIAL ASHES AND EMBERS sold for use in gas-fired fireplaces. Also, other older household products such as FIREPROOF GLOVES, STOVE-TOP PADS, IRONING BOARD COVERS, and certain HAIRDRYERS.
AUTOMOBILE BRAKE PADS AND LININGS, CLUTCH FACINGS, and GASKETS.
Yep. My home, built in 1960, contained the following made with Asbestos:
Tile (throughout ENTIRE 1st floor), tile mastic, ceiling accustic coating, drywall mud, forced air ducts, and romex wire insulation. That's what I know about so far.Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
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Jim
Thank you very much that list is exactly what I was looking for, actually I will start to look for these items and year the home was built before I take on a job. I like other renovators have come across all the above items from time to time. This would be a great article for Fine home buiding as this we can never know enough about this type of health hasard.
Thanks again George