Poll: Would you be worried if you were exposed to asbestos?

FP

Diamond Member
Feb 24, 2005
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Let's say you found out your 60's era home contained it.

Would you worry about doing work on your house?
 

SmoochyTX

Lifer
Apr 19, 2003
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Originally posted by: binister
Let's say you found out your 60's era home contained it.

Would you worry about doing work on your house?
I would only be worried about the contractor's bill.
 

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
57,040
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Why, did you sand it or otherwise raise tear it up and cause it to become airborne?

If not, don't worry about it.

So the answer is no, I wouldn't worry.

If you do choose to work on whatever system in the house contains it, have it professionally removed.
 

reitz

Elite Member
Oct 11, 1999
3,878
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It depends...If I was exposed, I'd be a little worried, so I answered 'Yes'.

That said, there's asbestos in my home. It was built in 1910...there's no avoiding it in a house that old. I believe I've found some: there's insulation surrounding a few hot air ducts that is from the right era and looks to be asbestos. Like others said, it's only a problem if disturbed, so I'm leaving it alone. I also have flooring tiles that were laid at an undetermined date. Our home renovation plans call for removing them, so I need to be careful. I'm preparing to cut samples to send out to have them analyzed. If they're asbestos, they're staying put and getting covered up. If not, out they go. Fortunately, the only insulation I can find in the house is 1970's era blown-in (and highly flammable ;)) cellulose, so I have problems with pulling that crap out.

Obviously, I would not be concerned just living in a house that has asbestos in it. Most homes built before 1960 do in some form or another, which covers the vast majority of homes that exist today.
 

bctbct

Diamond Member
Dec 22, 2005
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Originally posted by: reitz
It depends...If I was exposed, I'd be a little worried, so I answered 'Yes'.

That said, there's asbestos in my home. It was built in 1910...there's no avoiding it in a house that old. I believe I've found some: there's insulation surrounding a few hot air ducts that is from the right era and looks to be asbestos. Like others said, it's only a problem if disturbed, so I'm leaving it alone. I also have flooring tiles that were laid at an undetermined date. Our home renovation plans call for removing them, so I need to be careful. I'm preparing to cut samples to send out to have them analyzed. If they're asbestos, they're staying put and getting covered up. If not, out they go. Fortunately, the only insulation I can find in the house is 1970's era blown-in (and highly flammable ;)) cellulose, so I have problems with pulling that crap out.

Obviously, I would not be concerned just living in a house that has asbestos in it. Most homes built before 1960 do in some form or another, which covers the vast majority of homes that exist today.


Most asbestos tiles are 9X9, cut back adhesive used to install tile can contan asbestos also. You can demo tile yourself. Double bag it and take it to the landfill declaring what it is.

In general unless you cut, grind, or sand asbestos it is not harmful.
 

FP

Diamond Member
Feb 24, 2005
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One of our contractors was worried about it based on some things he saw in our attic/walls. Now he wants to have everything tested first, at an insane cost.

I personally think the whole asbestos scare is BS unless you are working with it on a daily basis for many many years. So now I have to decide whether to tear out the walls/tile/insulation myself or pay for the test and the inevitable "cleanup" which I am guessing will double the bill.

EDIT: I will likely be cutting/grinding the tiles to get them off of the wall fwiw.
 

FP

Diamond Member
Feb 24, 2005
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Originally posted by: bctbct
what kind of tiles do you have on the wall? Transite?

No clue. They are plain white square tiles.

Is there any asbestos "risk" in pulling down drywall?
 

bctbct

Diamond Member
Dec 22, 2005
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Originally posted by: binister
Originally posted by: bctbct
what kind of tiles do you have on the wall? Transite?

No clue. They are plain white square tiles.

Is there any asbestos "risk" in pulling down drywall?


Must be in the mastic, honesty just demo anything that you suspect has asbestos and dont get the swat team involved or you will have to cut off a leg to pay them bastards.

Wear a mask and any exposure you have will be minimal.






 

dennilfloss

Past Lifer 1957-2014 In Memoriam
Oct 21, 1999
30,509
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dennilfloss.blogspot.com
Geologist speaking: are we talking long-strand asbestos needles or short needles? The US anti-asbestos lobby groups tend to conveniently lump them together even though only one of those is harmful.
 

marincounty

Diamond Member
Nov 16, 2005
3,227
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They used asbestos in brake lininings for years, still used in oem replacement brakes.
This stuff was and is in the air everywhere. Mechanics were exposed to this stuff all of the time. I don't recall a huge epidemic of lung disease.
IMHO this has been totally overblown by junk science and the media.
If you need to get rid of it, just put on a disposable suit, a mask, and glasses.
Don't pay the extortionate costs of an "official" asbestos abatement crew.
 

mchammer

Diamond Member
Dec 7, 2000
3,152
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You would be nuts to deal with any crumbling asbestos. Wear a mask you say, well no mask you can easily get will stop that stuff fom getting through. That stuff is so small it can stay suspended in the air for years before it falls on the ground. There is a reason why people who work in asbestos removal are highly paid.
 

mchammer

Diamond Member
Dec 7, 2000
3,152
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Originally posted by: marincounty
They used asbestos in brake lininings for years, still used in oem replacement brakes.
This stuff was and is in the air everywhere. Mechanics were exposed to this stuff all of the time. I don't recall a huge epidemic of lung disease.
IMHO this has been totally overblown by junk science and the media.
If you need to get rid of it, just put on a disposable suit, a mask, and glasses.
Don't pay the extortionate costs of an "official" asbestos abatement crew.

:confused: Are you a doctor? Do you know anything about how asbestos harms the body? Cite medical studies or don't post this BS.
 

marincounty

Diamond Member
Nov 16, 2005
3,227
5
76
Originally posted by: mchammer
Originally posted by: marincounty
They used asbestos in brake lininings for years, still used in oem replacement brakes.
This stuff was and is in the air everywhere. Mechanics were exposed to this stuff all of the time. I don't recall a huge epidemic of lung disease.
IMHO this has been totally overblown by junk science and the media.
If you need to get rid of it, just put on a disposable suit, a mask, and glasses.
Don't pay the extortionate costs of an "official" asbestos abatement crew.

:confused: Are you a doctor? Do you know anything about how asbestos harms the body? Cite medical studies or don't post this BS.

What BS? Are you a doctor? Prove with a link that anything I posted is untrue.
You're breathing asbestos all of the time. It's still in lots of brakes, not to mention tiles, pipe insulation, ceiling tiles, etc...
You can buy all of the protective equipment the asbestos "professionals" use.
 

mchammer

Diamond Member
Dec 7, 2000
3,152
0
76
Originally posted by: marincounty
Originally posted by: mchammer
Originally posted by: marincounty
They used asbestos in brake lininings for years, still used in oem replacement brakes.
This stuff was and is in the air everywhere. Mechanics were exposed to this stuff all of the time. I don't recall a huge epidemic of lung disease.
IMHO this has been totally overblown by junk science and the media.
If you need to get rid of it, just put on a disposable suit, a mask, and glasses.
Don't pay the extortionate costs of an "official" asbestos abatement crew.

:confused: Are you a doctor? Do you know anything about how asbestos harms the body? Cite medical studies or don't post this BS.

What BS? Are you a doctor? Prove with a link that anything I posted is untrue.
You're breathing asbestos all of the time. It's still in lots of brakes, not to mention tiles, pipe insulation, ceiling tiles, etc...
You can buy all of the protective equipment the asbestos "professionals" use.

lol. You are the one that made the claims here... The asbesos doesn't come out until it is disturbed. I don't see where you would buy the stuff these people use, plus you would not have the same training. The masks and filters they have are $$$ plus they test before and after. What is your problem with this issue? I think some people on here just want to seem like they can do everything themselves and don't need help ever.
 

Mark R

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
8,513
16
81
Originally posted by: mchammer
You would be nuts to deal with any crumbling asbestos. Wear a mask you say, well no mask you can easily get will stop that stuff fom getting through. That stuff is so small it can stay suspended in the air for years before it falls on the ground. There is a reason why people who work in asbestos removal are highly paid.

While masks will stop it, relatively easily - that isn't the only problem.

The asbestos fibers are very fine and wispy, and stay suspended in the air for hours or even days after being disturbed. This means they can easily be inhaled by people passing through the area at another time. Of course, this doesn't deal with the fibers that have settled to the ground mixed with dust.

The other issue is that the fibers stick to many surfaces - walls, floors, clothing, etc. The classical story of the importance of this was that asbestos lung diseae and cancer is found in high levels not just in former industrial workers, but in their families. When the wife did her husband's laundry, the asbestos fibers on the clothes became airborne and she inhaled them. This is why modern contractors dealing with asbestos wear plastic 'chem' suits which can then be disposed in a controlled decontamination area.

That said, there are many different types of asbestos - it is only 'blue' asbestos, crisotile, that is extremely dangerous. The other types, while dangerous, are much less damaging.

There is also the issue of dose - a mechanic servicing brakes is likely only to get modest exposure (fibers that have come off the pads, and have stuck to the brake mechanism as dust). Even so, good practice would have the mechanic spray down the brakes with water to dampen the dust. I'm fairly sure that the use of asbestos in brakes has now been completely abandonned. By contrast, building contractors or heating engineers would often use felt made from blue asbestos, and would have to cut or pull it, or grind tiles - getting huge doses.
 

Philippine Mango

Diamond Member
Oct 29, 2004
5,594
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Yes, when I and my family discovered we had asbestos, we totally freaked, begged my dad to remove it and he finally did. The real important reason why we had it removed was because our ducts had fallen apart, so not only were we heating the underneath the house instead of the house, but the heat that did get through was likely blowing asbestos particles into our house..
 

marincounty

Diamond Member
Nov 16, 2005
3,227
5
76
Originally posted by: mchammer
Originally posted by: marincounty
Originally posted by: mchammer
Originally posted by: marincounty
They used asbestos in brake lininings for years, still used in oem replacement brakes.
This stuff was and is in the air everywhere. Mechanics were exposed to this stuff all of the time. I don't recall a huge epidemic of lung disease.
IMHO this has been totally overblown by junk science and the media.
If you need to get rid of it, just put on a disposable suit, a mask, and glasses.
Don't pay the extortionate costs of an "official" asbestos abatement crew.

:confused: Are you a doctor? Do you know anything about how asbestos harms the body? Cite medical studies or don't post this BS.

What BS? Are you a doctor? Prove with a link that anything I posted is untrue.
You're breathing asbestos all of the time. It's still in lots of brakes, not to mention tiles, pipe insulation, ceiling tiles, etc...
You can buy all of the protective equipment the asbestos "professionals" use.

lol. You are the one that made the claims here... The asbesos doesn't come out until it is disturbed. I don't see where you would buy the stuff these people use, plus you would not have the same training. The masks and filters they have are $$$ plus they test before and after. What is your problem with this issue? I think some people on here just want to seem like they can do everything themselves and don't need help ever.

No, I'm telling you this stuff is everywhere, in the air, and is not as dangerous as the govt and media have told you. Otherwise there would be epidemics of lung disease.
The training these workers have? Are you kidding me, these are mainly high-school dropouts doing the actual work.
This is not rocket science.