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Spacelord and I have the same views on this issue. I wouldn't say the WHOLE asbestos issue is overblown, but certain information is. It has been deemed a carcinogen by the EPA, and by most accounts the diseases it causes have a very long development time and are a result of heavy exposure over many years to airborne fibers. The recent inundation of lawsuit messages by the TV lawyers is probably scaring the he** out of anyone that thinks they may have come into contact with the stuff at some point in their life.
This product was used freely for decades in a variety of applications - just Google it and you'll see what it has been used for (just don't get caught up in the fear mongering). In addition, as a previous poster said, it's an abundant mineral, it's in the air we breathe - everyone has had some exposure either to natural occuring asbestos or residual dust from building demolition, repair, construction, etc. There are 6 types - some appear benign, some more toxic.
The tiles, pipe insulation, brake pads, etc. don't concern me too much - one application seemingly overlooked is the lovely popcorn ceilings sprayed from the 50's through the late 70's. How many people do you think have removed, scraped or repaired that type of material over the past 40-50 years, without any knowledge of its components (some with asbestos and some without)? My guess would be probably many, many thousands. I guess my point is, and I may be totally wrong, but with all of this type of exposure, the diseases caused are still almost exclusively found in asbestos workers or people exposed in some capacity for many years to high airborne levels.
I just don't think asbestos is necessarily something to panic over, do your due diligence in checking out the potential hazard of each particular application. It's like any other hazard, be it driving a car, walking across the street, smoking cigarettes, eating fast food... it's up to the individual to determine their level of risk. Life is inherently risky, just do what you can to weed out the real risks from the perceived risks. Sometimes this is tough to do in the age of Google where everyone has an opinion or stance...
I believe everyone is exposed to asbestos in one way or another. I know it was present in our home (popcorn ceiling and some tape on the old furnace) but the contractors we used to replace our central heat/air and remove the popcorn and retexture didn't seem all that concerned, so neither were we. I guess I could have been worried, but it wouldn't have changed anything.
Worry causes stress and stress can kill you. In fact, I would be willing to bet that the stress caused by people worrying about asbestos in their home is 1000 times more likely to kill someone than having asbestos in their home. Someone should commission a study. Is there any ARRA money left? Maybe we can all sue the asbestos lawyers for making us worry.
I have a friend, who lives in CA, who decided she wanted new tile in her kitchen. 1950's house. So she went - somplace - and picked out a new tile and had someone come out and give her a quote on the cost. The salesman looked at her floor, told her the old floor had asbestos, and handed her a booklet on what needed to be done (according to CA law) to put the new tile down. If memory serves me correctly, something like a hazmat team had to come in and take the old tile out.
She decided that was way too much trouble and cost and gave up the idea of a shiny new floor.
gosh, I read this stuff and I think "my dad was trying to kill me as a child" He was an engineer and he used to bring all kinds of neat stuff home for us to play with. I remember 8.5x11 pieces of asbestos we used to torch with propane and bottles of mercury that got pretty dirty from being passed from hand to hand.
gosh, I read this stuff and I think "my dad was trying to kill me as a child" He was an engineer and he used to bring all kinds of neat stuff home for us to play with. I remember 8.5x11 pieces of asbestos we used to torch with propane and bottles of mercury that got pretty dirty from being passed from hand to hand.
Shhhh!!! You aren't supposed to be alive according to "the state of California". Be careful or they may declare you a hazardous waste...
I read and participate in quite a few online forums related to houses, restoration, decorating, housekeeping, etc. (City Data is my favorite of course ).
Anyhow, this one forum had a frequent/regular poster who was a real Wanda Worrywort. I mean the woman was a major Debbie Downer about everything.
If a new/young homeowner came aboard asking about his "new" old house, for instance, she would almost always have to regale the poor poster with horror stories about the dangers of lead and asbestos and mold. Same thing for owners of new houses: only then the culprits were sure to be off-gassing and VOCs.
She really did seem to know her stuff and she was amusing to read. I pictured her as a grey-haired grandmother with glasses and a cardigan, wringing her thin and calloused hands endlessly. I imagined her house was spotless. Not to mention safe.
So one day the topic of "removing nicotine stains from walls" came up. I'm sure you all see where this is going???
Yup. Wanda Worrywart was a two-pack-per-day smoker!
(But I'm sure it'll be the asbestos in her floor tiles that will kill her )
I have a friend, who lives in CA, who decided she wanted new tile in her kitchen. 1950's house. So she went - somplace - and picked out a new tile and had someone come out and give her a quote on the cost. The salesman looked at her floor, told her the old floor had asbestos, and handed her a booklet on what needed to be done (according to CA law) to put the new tile down. If memory serves me correctly, something like a hazmat team had to come in and take the old tile out.
She decided that was way too much trouble and cost and gave up the idea of a shiny new floor.
Even here in GA a flooring company will not touch old vinyl floors because of the legal liability in case it's asbestos containing. They will all (at least the pro flooring companies) either tell you to have it removed (or by yourself) or go over it. Since most won't tile over existing vinyl (unless it's really well secured to the subfloor) you are left either testing the floor and paying serious $ for professional removal, or just doing it yourself. It's easy to get scared into hiring the pros to do it, but removing yourself is pretty easy/safe (but can be a severe pain in the a$$ if tiles/sheets are well adhered).
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