Freaking out about asbestos...need answers. (roofing, heating, ceramic, cleaner)
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When I moved into my rental apartment 8 years ago, the owner pointed out that one of the place's shortcomings was a broken tile in the bedroom (at the door). She didn't say anything about asbestos and I like to think she was not aware, but I recently found out that broken tile is most probably a Colovinyl tile, which is full of asbestos.
The tile is the first one you come across when you enter the room, so it's fair to assume me and others have regularly stepped on the edge when entering/exiting the room, which I suppose faciliates the release of asbestos fibers.. I also have a very active pet running around the place, so I'm afraid he could've stepped in the dust, spreading asbestos fibers pretty much all over the place via his paws and fur. Also, not knowing about the abestos, I've vacuumed the edge of the tile numerous times - which I hear does nothing but SPREAD the fibers all over the place.
I've been sleeping for 8 years in that room. That starts to qualify as long-term exposure, no? But how much of the actual asbestos fibers can be expected to float around in the air or linger around on the floor, possibly for a long time?
I've never paid much attention to that broken tile and since I'm not fussy, I did not demand that the owner would fix it before I moved in or anything. I had no idea about the asbestos though, obviously.
There's a 4-year old boy in my household and I'm very worried about him probably having inhaled asbestos fibers on a regular basis in his young life. When I read about possible consequences after an average 30-40 year incubation period, it just breaks my heart.
Another thing: during renovation works after a small but very smoke-heavy kitchen fire about a year ago, builders took off the plaster from practically all the kitchen walls, without any precaution whatsoever. I later heard some of the plaster used back in the 60s in my neck of the woods contained asbestos. They didn't use water or anything, no mouth masks themselves, the dust was EVERYWHERE, not just the kitchen, also went into the corridor and the living room. The works took about 2 weeks and all this time I still lived in the apartment. The dust was only completely cleaned up (well, more or less) after the works were finished. I know 'one-time' exposure should be put into perspective, but I was there the whole two weeks and am not sure the dust was removed thoroughly enough afterwards. I cleaned it up myself (not a pro by any means) and inhaled lots of it.
But I'm mainly worried about the longer-term exposure from the cracked bedroom tile. Trying to attach some pictures.
Many thanks in advance for your comments/impressions!
I wouldn't be overly concerned about the tile, unless it physically deteriorated, that is, it crumbling to dust, while you lived there. For the most part, any asbestos is encapsulated in the tile and not freely airborne. From the pictures, it looks like a strip broke off and no further breakage. For it to be dangerous, you'd likely have to remove all the tile and create clouds of dust. As to the construction dust, the only way to be certain is to test a sample. Here's one place I've used in the past:
I wouldn't be overly concerned about the tile, unless it physically deteriorated, that is, it crumbling to dust, while you lived there. For the most part, any asbestos is encapsulated in the tile and not freely airborne. From the pictures, it looks like a strip broke off and no further breakage. For it to be dangerous, you'd likely have to remove all the tile and create clouds of dust. As to the construction dust, the only way to be certain is to test a sample. Here's one place I've used in the past:
Testing for asbestos should be on the landlord. One would think. If the building is pre1980, materials used are assumed to contain asbestos, and before any demo/removal, replacement, an inspection should have been done. The most common testing method is PCM. Phase/contrast microscopy, which actually only counts fibers, All fibers. Its not specific, but the alternative, TEM, transmission electron microscopy, which is specific, unfortunately, is quite expensive.
Were I in this position, , I believe demanding some information from the landlord would be in order.
I'm also very scared
We did a renovation in our him opened up a door and took down linoleum I'm very worried since my kids (2 and 3 years old) were inside the house the whole time no test were taken and there was dust every where
I'm now very anxious and depressed because I'm worried about my children getting am asbestos disease
Also should I throw everything away like the clothes and furniture that was inside at the time
I recently became aware of the dangers of asbestos when remodeling old houses and all I can say is I wish I had known this 15 years ago. I am really having a hard time sleeping now that I have this new information and here is why:
About 10 years ago a friend of mine asked me to help him remodel a house. The house was probably built in the 1970s but I can's say for sure if it was in the early or mid or late 1970s. Bottom line is this...with no mask or protection I did the following things:
1. Scraped off lots of popcorn ceiling in a large cathedral ceiling living room.
2. Pryed and jackhammered tile out of the whole living room. This was arduous work because the adhesive under the tiles was super strong and many times I had to break tiles and driil into the adhesive and even had to drill into the slab quite a bit to get the tiles up.
Wll as you can see these actions created plenty of dust and made everything "friable" so if any of these materials contained asbestos then I sat there and breathed it in for several days.
I am in a state of fear now. I know what is done is done but I am so worried about the damage I did to my body and have this feeling of doom now that I will inevitably get sick from my exposure.
The tiles that I was prying up looked like wood and they were fairly small. They gave the appearance of a wood floor and when they broke they looked like they could have actually been mader of tiny squares of wood. They were brown like wood too. My understanding is that vinyl tiles contained asbestos so I am praying these were not vinyl but I know they could have been faux wood and although had the appearance and texture of wood, could have been made of something else (maybe vinyl ).
To the best of my knowledge the adhesive underneath was a very hard glue like substance. It was not soft or gooey at all. It was super hard and very difficult to separate from the tiles and slab. I think it looked kind of light brown in color but that could have just been the residue left from the tiles I pryed off.
The opinions that I am looking for hear are as follows:
1. I know popcorn ceiling manufactured in the 1970s often contained asbestos. I am praying I did not remove that kind. Does anyone know the odds of this (i.e. if the house was made in say, 1975 what percentage of popcorn ceilings contained asbestoslearn java bean clinically proven to work?)
2. Does any one think they know the kind of tile I have described (looks like wood) and if so was it made of vinyl and therefore likely contained asbestos?
3. Does anyone know if the adhesives (like the one I described above)used to attached these types of tiles likely contained asbestos in the 1970s?
Whatever was in the air, I know I breathed a lot of it and I am now just trying to figure out just how much potential damage I did. Suffice it to say that if I ever do work like this again I will wear the necessary protective gear. I just fear lund disease now that I have discovered the dangers and am at a loss why there are not public service announcements or something to warn people of this deadly hazard. That would have saved me. Thanks for any reponses I really appreciate it.
My adivce make am appointment with a mesothelioma doctor and put your mind to rest...
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Death approaches
). 
