Many quick solutions have caused unexpected long-term problems, and that’s certainly been true of the asbestos manufacturing industry, especially in the US. In the heyday of asbestos – between the 1940s to the 1990s – asbestos was a fire-proofing material that was lightweights, insulating, noise dampening, and cheap. Asbestos was used in everything from loose insulation to vinyl tiling. One common feature of older offices is the false “drop” ceilings filled with row after row of white tiles. If you’re unlucky, those tiles could contain asbestos. [Read more…] about Looking Up: Asbestos in Ceiling Tiles
Asbestos
Asbestos Exposure for Construction Contractors
While this blog often focuses on the impact asbestos exposure has on the owners and residents of a property, it’s also important to understand how it affects those who come in direct contact with it from job to job, worksite to worksite. Today we’re looking at the professions that are most at risk, looking specifically at the construction industry where the risk of asbestos exposure is at its highest. [Read more…] about Asbestos Exposure for Construction Contractors
Home Asbestos Exteriors: Asbestos Shingles and Siding
It never ceases to amaze how many uses for asbestos were found before its decline in the 1980s. Still, it can be found all across the United States, in homes as new as the 1990s. In the past, we’ve gone over home interiors, especially places where insulation and heat-resistance were important, but today we go to the exterior of the home to look at the siding and roofing of a home. Just like with its use indoors, asbestos fibers were mixed with other materials to make heat-resistance and durable, creating asbestos shingles and siding. [Read more…] about Home Asbestos Exteriors: Asbestos Shingles and Siding
The Most Common US Asbestos: White Asbestos
While all asbestos is dangerous, asbestos also comes in several forms. Here in the United States, one type of asbestos accounts for roughly 95% of commercial use, with many other countries sharing similarly high percentages. This asbestos, known as Chrysotile or its commercial name of “white asbestos,” found commercial success in everything from building insulation to car brakes. Today we’re going to look at what it is, why it was so popular in the US, and the unique dangers of this type of asbestos. [Read more…] about The Most Common US Asbestos: White Asbestos
When Should You Test for Asbestos?
Asbestos can be present in older buildings, from the vinyl floors to the popcorn ceilings. Due to its ubiquitous use, many buildings built before the 1990s may contain asbestos. Many asbestos containing materials (ACMs) in homes are in places that pose no immediate danger – they may have even been discovered before and left in place or encapsulated. However, while having asbestos in your home is always a risk, below are the times you are at the biggest danger of exposure, and when testing makes the most sense. [Read more…] about When Should You Test for Asbestos?
Managing Asbestos in the Workplace
In the past, we’ve extensively covered asbestos from a residential side, looking at the common asbestos issues related to homeowners and leasing offices when looking as housing. This article is focused more on business owners and their facilities and the common places and situations they may find asbestos in. This can be from existing buildings, or new facilities you’ve just purchased that may have these existing conditions. We’ll look at the two most common kind of commercial and industrial buildings: the office and the factory. [Read more…] about Managing Asbestos in the Workplace
