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We live in an older home built in about 1940ish. In one of the rooms there is gypsum ceiling tiles. A few days ago my husband installed a light fixture on them where no light fixture previously existed so he had to cut into the tiles. He said he only cut 2 small holes to fit the wiring. I had him go back and Caulk around the edges so no fibers can come out in the future. My concern is the possible exposure from the initial installation. He used a respirator mask but he didn’t do anything to protect contaminating the room and house. We have alot of stuff in there some things I threw away because I’m afraid to keep it. I also threw away the clothes he was wearing during the project. I don’t know for sure if they contain asbestos and I’m not able to test it since the pieces have already been disposed but let’s it is asbestos, how big is the risk? I can’t stop thinking that everything in the house is contaminated and that our family is at risk. I’m mainly concerned about my baby who is 9 months old. My husband isn’t concerned. He said he made sure to clean the floors really well with a swiffer a few times and that we’re not even sure they contain asbestos.
Also there is a spot in the ceiling that is drooped down from what looks like a previous roof leak. It’s been like that since we’ve moved in (about 5 years ago) and doesn’t look like it has gotten worse and the tiles themselves look to be still intact. Is this a large concern? Doing research has made me so paranoid!
Any thoughts or advice is appropriated! Thanks in advance!
IF there is any asbestos in it, which I doubt, the risk if very small. I grew up in a house that was almost all absbestos and never had any problems because of it, nor did anyone else in my family, and I was exposed to it every day for 16 years.
I suggest just to give you some comfort you buy an asbestos test kit and test a small bit of the tiles.
I understand the paranoia, as a mother - but let it go . . . I know people who rolled around in asbestos (for work) and it didn't seem to cause any problems.
First and foremost, I would have the material tested to determine if it has been manufactured using asbestos. For all you know it might be free of asbestos.
If it is a stable solid material that contains asbestos (ACM) then it is safe if left untouched since it’s considered non friable. That being the case, it would definitely be better for a litany of reasons to have it tested. As a homeowner, you are allowed to remove a certain amout of ACM yourself, however you would need to do the research and obtain any materials or equipment to do it safely. Probably better to obtain several estimates from licensed contractors. They do sell a lock-down spray that ensures the material is not friable prior to handling it.
I would not panic over a really small exposure to the product since the real danger comes from continual exposure for an extended period of time.
1. Sit down, & stop hyperventilating. You don't even know whether the material contains asbestos. The hazards of casual, short-term asbestos exposure have been wildly overstated by companies that do asbestos mitigation.
People love to panic over this. There are far greater threats to your health and safety to worry about. If you like worrying focus on some of the following things that are about 100,000,000,000 times mroe likely to be a health risk for your husband:
texting while driving.
Driving when there are drunks and people texting while driving.
Driving in adverse weather.
Lack of exercise.
Drinking a lot of pop (soda).
Smoking.
Living with smokers,
Too much caffeine.
air pollution (in some areas).
Climbing on a ladder while working on the house.
Using power tools.
driinking.
catching the flu.
House burning down at night.
stress from worrying too much about minuscule risks.
Less likely but still more like to be an issue than a tiny exposure to possibly maybe asbestos
getting hit by a meteorite.
struck by lightening twice.
Throwing up in the respirator from drinking last night and then drowning before he can remove the mask.
quicksand or a sinkhole suddenly appearing in your back yard and swallowing him up while he is mowing the lawn.
Attack by wild animals while hiking or mountain biking.
getting lost in the wilderness.
plane crash.
A drunk driver losing control of their car and plunging into your living-room while he is sitting on the couch watching football.
Spontaneous combustion.
terrorists mistaking him for a high ranking government official and attacking your home.
A jeep falling out of a military aircraft flying over your house and landing on your bedroom.
The rapture.
Once you have sufficiently worried about all of these things happening to him, then, if you have any time and energy left for more worrying, it is time to worry about the possibly maybe minuscule asbestos exposure while wearing a respirator.
Sorry, the asbestos hysteria makes me get a bit sarcastic at times. I spent some time working on asbestos litigation and learned quite a bit about it. I also did a lot of research on it since I have mostly lived in older homes. However, I suggest you not early on what anonymous people on the internet might say. Do your own research and draw your own conclusions, just be careful, lots and lots of the "research" on the internet is complete BS.
IF there is any asbestos in it, which I doubt, the risk if very small. I grew up in a house that was almost all absbestos and never had any problems because of it, nor did anyone else in my family, and I was exposed to it every day for 16 years.
Good advice here. I'd add this: Don't smoke. The odds of contracting an asbestos-related disease go up 50 times if you're a smoker.
Also - I would NOT have the house tested. If it tests positive, you'll have to disclose that to future buyers. BAD IDEA. And, if it tests positive, you might be on the hook for abatement and that can be pricey.
How many people do you know with mesothelioma or asbestosis? It's just not that common - especially with incidental exposure.
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