What health dangers are associated with living in a house with such tiles?
In living in a house after removing these tiles? The house is 80 years old. |
Request for Question Clarification by
digsalot-ga
on
19 Aug 2004 09:22 PDT
Hello there
First of all, if you are going to remove asbestos containing products
from your house, call a professional regardless of what you might find
as an answer here.
Done improperly, the removal of asbestos roofing tiles (and the felt
layer beneath the tiles may also be made with asbestos) can cause a
danger inside the house. - More than you might think.
I'll start with some questions and answers since I don't know what the
condition of your roof is. The reason being is that although I'm an
archaeologist, nobody gets rich in that profession. In Los Angeles, I
also worked in home improvement. I like to think nobody can do
prep-work and cut-in painting any better than I do. (ego showing here
- I was invited to do the interior cut-in painting on the San
Marino/Pasadena Showcase house a decade ago. Crown and door moldings
painted multi-color to match the wall papers.)
I got out of the business when a customer lied to us about removing a
"popcorn ceiling" in a kitchen and replacing it with a smooth finish.
We were assured the ceiling material was gypsum and had only been up a
couple of years - that was even written into our contract. When we
were finished, the original owner of the house came by and told us the
ceiling had been put up in the late 50s and was pure blown asbestos.
So much for that. - - - Norm and I also won the resulting lawsuit.
First question: Is the roof still in good shape? - - answer - If it
is, the best interim measure (unless the roof is deteriorating) is to
seal the surface temporarily, as well as the underside in the attic,
so that fibres will not be released into indoor air. If the roof is
already protected or isolated, simply leave it alone for now and call
a professional for appraisal. In fact, it should be a professional in
asbestos who does the sealing and that person, 'not me,' should let
you know if such a sealing is warrented. - - Whenever an asbestos
product is disturbed, maximum precautions must be taken to safeguard
the workers and anybody else who may be nearby. Asbestos dust must
remain within the work area so that it cannot be breathed by
unprotected persons. Such a confinment of the dust must take place
even when the work is done outdoors - such as on a roof.
Everybody who works with asbestos should always wear approved face
mask and gloves, protective clothing with taped sleeve and trouser
cuffs, and wash these clothes separately after use. The work area has
to remain moist to keep dust and fiber particles from floating into
the air. Isolate the work space.
Reduce the air pressure to prevent asbestos fibers from escaping from
the work area, and filter the exhaust air. Dispose of all waste
appropriately, according to the guidelines of your particular state or
province. Other removal methods may be warranted for special
conditions ? repeating here again - consult an expert.
Second question: Have you already removed the roof? Your question is
unclear about that. - answer - If you have, and it was not done by a
professional - GET YOUR HOUSE INSPECTED NOW - I usually don't shout
but I wanted to make sure this point got across. - Bring in that
expert.
Third question: Is the roof the only place you suspect asbestos
content? - answer - Since the house is 80 years old, I am going to
push you to get that expert in there again. The roof may not be the
only problem. Asbestos has been used not only for roofs, but in
clapboard, exterior siding, pipe and boiler covering, compounds and
cement - such as caulk, putty, roof patching, furnace cement and
driveway coating, wallboard, textured and latex paints, acoustical
ceiling tiles and plaster, vinyl floor tiles, appliance wiring - and
if your insulation is more than a couple of decades old, it is likely
to even be found there.
No researcher here can tell you what the danger inside your house
actually is. None of us have ever inspected the inside of your house.
However, if the asbestos removal is properly done by a professional,
there should be little danger remaining in your home afterward.
While I appreciate your confidence in Google Answer Researchers enough
that you would bring your question here, I highly doubt if any of us
are trained asbestos experts and can provide a definitive answer.
Get an expert to do that.
Cheers
Digsalot
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Clarification of Question by
iamverycurious-ga
on
20 Aug 2004 19:19 PDT
Thank you for the request for clarification -- sorry to be slow in
responding. Let me first say that I don't live in this house -- I am
considering buying it. I agree that it makes sense to have a
professional inspect it. I was wondering if there are statistics
available on the dangers of this kind of asbestos. The roof appears to
be in good condition, but there are a few water stains apparent, and
as you say, it seems a better inspection is in order.
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Request for Question Clarification by
digsalot-ga
on
20 Aug 2004 21:12 PDT
There are overall statistics related to older homes and asbestos.
However they are not really broken down into asbestos from the roof,
asbestos around the furnace, etc. Just overall asbestos related
figures.
I am going to give you some perhaps hard to take information about
what asbestos can do, and is doing every day. I am also putting this
material here rather than in the answer field. The reason is the same
as before, without an inspection, a Goodle answers researcher cannot
give you a definitive answer about your potential new house. I would
rather you apply what you would have paid for your answer to the
inspection cost. Call it a house warming gift if you want for when
you move in to the new place.
"Almost 10,000 deaths per year in the United States, or close to 30
deaths per day, are due to asbestos exposure, and the number may be
increasing, according to a new study by the Environmental Working
Group (EWG). The substance kills thousands more people than skin
cancer, and nearly the number that are slain in assaults with
firearms. One out of every 125 American men over the age of 50 dies
from asbestosis, mesothelioma, or other asbestos diseases. ... Over
the next ten years, 100,000 Americans will die from mesothelioma,
asbestosis, and asbestos?related lung cancer and gastrointestinal (GI)
cancer, according to the EWG group. ... Older homes are riddled with
asbestos in their roofing and insulation, posing a hazard when the
substance falls into disrepair or is disturbed and becomes airborne."
- Quotes from the Asbestos Network
http://www.asbestosnetwork.com/news/nw_031204_asbestosdeath.htm
As I said, it might be hard to take information. Because whatever you
do to the roof to fix the leaks and eliminate the water stains, you
will be disturbing asbestos.
The article itself might disturb you. Many people think it is now
illegal to use asbestos in home products, - not so - 80% of new
roofing material is still made using it. And that figure is from this
years Us Geological Survey report (2004).
http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/asbestos/asbesmcs04.pdf
- Acrobat Reader needed
I'm back where I started. You do need a professional inspection to
get a definitive answer to your question.
An 80 year old house should restore into a magnificent object. I'm
sure yours will be.
If you need a good painter?
Digs
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Request for Question Clarification by
digsalot-ga
on
20 Aug 2004 21:44 PDT
I found this after I had written my last post. It may make you think
harder about that inspection.
The Asbestos Epidemic in America
http://www.ewg.org/reports/asbestos/facts/fact5.php
Digs
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Clarification of Question by
iamverycurious-ga
on
21 Aug 2004 13:34 PDT
Thanks for the additional information. I am more convinced than ever
to get a good inspection, but I would like to pay you for your
research, so please post your answer so I can accept it.
Thanks again.
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Request for Question Clarification by
digsalot-ga
on
21 Aug 2004 16:55 PDT
Oh dear!
Maybe I'm just too hard headed. But if I give somebody a housewarming
gift, I kinda, sorta, expect them to keep it.
So, let's try a compromise. If you don't want to apply the money to
the inspection, after you get the house go out and buy some canna lily
bulbs.
Cannas go great with older houses. And when they burst into glorious
bloom for you, I will consider myself paid.
Here is a link to the 'canna forum.' I am a member there too.
I recommend "Red Presidents" or "King Humberts" to start with.
Thank you again for the kind offer.
Good luck with your new house and happy gardening.
Digs
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Request for Question Clarification by
digsalot-ga
on
21 Aug 2004 17:11 PDT
Forgot the link:
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/canna/
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Clarification of Question by
iamverycurious-ga
on
21 Aug 2004 17:50 PDT
Thank you, digsalot. You are as generous and kind-hearted as you are
knowledgeable. My wife is the gardener and primarily goes for roses
and clematis, but I'll make sure to add some cannas to the mix.
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Request for Question Clarification by
digsalot-ga
on
21 Aug 2004 19:23 PDT
Just pulling down the "clarification requested" flag.
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