Is There Asbestos In Your Home? Is Your Family Safe?

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral fiber mined from the earth. It is heat and chemical resistant and is easily formed into just about any shape or product. It was used in more than 3,000 different construction materials and manufactured products, including many found in residential homes.

Typically – in residential settings these materials can be found in: cement, roof shingles, ceiling tiles, sprayed-on ceilings, patching compounds, attic and wall insulation containing vermiculite, siding, floor tiles, HVAC insulation, plumbing insulation/blanketing and many other sealant/insulation applications.

Asbestos can be identified in both a friable or non-friable state. Friable asbestos can be easily crumbled or reduced to a powder and can become airborne. This type of asbestos poses the greatest danger to the environment and exposure health. Non-friable asbestos is more tightly bound with another material and its fibers cannot easily be made airborne unless they are sanded, cut, or sawed.

When disturbed, asbestos breaks down into microscopic small fibers up to 1,200 times thinner than a human hair. These tiny fibers easily become airborne and when inhaled, many of the fibers will become trapped in the mucous membranes of the nose and throat where they can then be removed, but some may pass deep into the lungs, or, if swallowed, into the digestive tract. Once they are trapped in the body, the fibers can cause health problems such as mesothelioma, lung cancer and severe/chronic asbestosis. There is no known safe level of asbestos exposure, and medical research indicates these fibers can cause severe lung diseases and cancer in 10 to 30 years after the initial asbestos exposure.

If your home was built prior to the 1980’s there is a high likelihood that may contain asbestos in some form. It is vitally important to know if there is asbestos-containing materials in your home – and if so – risk exposure – so you can protect your health as well as your family’s.

Sentry Home Inspection Services is nationally certified to conduct residential and commercial asbestos survey’s and inspections. If you need to get an asbestos inspection in Albany, Leesburg and the Southwest Georgia Region we can help take care of all your survey, inspection and testing needs. This service establishes the presence of asbestos, sample collection, risk assessment and certified laboratory testing results.

 

For More Information on the dangers of asbestos please visit the Environmental Protection Agency at: https://www.epa.gov/asbestos/epa-actions-protect-public-exposure-asbestos