Floors	Furnace & Ducts
Ceilings	Siding

What is asbestos? Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral fiber that has been used in more than 3,000 different construction materials and manufactured products. It is commonly found in heating system insulation, decorative spray-on ceiling treatments, vinyl flooring, cement shake siding, and a variety of additional materials. Some asbestos-containing materials were still being installed into the late 1980's. The asbestos content of different materials varies according to the product and how it is used. Among these materials with higher concentrations of asbestos are insulating products on heating systems and the backing on sheet vinyl flooring. If asbestos-containing materials are disturbed-with age or remodeling-they may be dangerous to your health. Airborne asbestos is a serious health hazard. Breathing asbestos fibers could kill you When disturbed, asbestos breaks down into fibers up to 1,200 times thinner than a human hair and invisible to the human eye. If released into the air, asbestos quickly circulates through your home. When inhaled, these fibers become trapped in lung tissues. Medical research tells us that up to 30 years after inhalation, asbestos fibers can cause lung cancer, mesothelioma, a related terminal cancer of the tissue that lines the chest cavity, and asbestosis, a condition that can lead to breathing problems and heart failure. There is no known safe level of asbestos exposure. That's why medical, environmental health, and regulatory organizations stress the need to protect health by minimizing exposure to airborne asbestos fibers, particularly at elevated levels. Elevated levels result from uncontrolled disturbances and removals of asbestos-containing materials- such as during a remodeling product. Exposure to asbestos In addition to the dangers of asbestos exposure that can occur during remodeling and during disposal, an improper asbestos removal attempt will put your family at risk long after remodeling ends because asbestos fibers- if released into the air-will quickly collect on carpets, clothing, or furniture, and circulate through home heating and ventilation systems (creating a much bigger problem than you started with). How to find asbestos in your home 1 Look in the following places.       Heating Systems   Many home heating appliances and heating systems contain asbestos insulation or gasket materials. It's common to find it as insulation on old "octopus" style furnaces and boilers, heating ducts, and hot water pipes or in insulating board materials installed under or around heating appliances (see photo A).             Spray-On "Popcorn" Ceilings   This heavily textured ceiling application was common from the mid-1960s through the early 1980s (see photo B). It is very fragile, so it releases asbestos fibers when disturbed.             Vinyl Flooring   Sheet vinyl and vinyl tiles may contain asbestos. Sheet vinyl can be dangerous to remove because it may be backed with felt that contains high concentrations of asbestos fibers. These will release into the air if the backing is disturbed while dry. Tiles are generally safer because asbestos fibers are bound up inside the tiles in a petroleum base. It is hard to identify asbestos-containing flooring just by looking at it.       House Siding   Cement asbestos-board siding is a very dense, brittle product used primarily in the 1940s, 1950s, and into the 1960s (see Photo C). Typically asbestos siding looks like oversized shake siding- although thinner and with small ridges.             Other Possibilities   Additional materials in the home that may contain asbestos include "acoustical" ceiling tiles, plaster, stucco, knob-and-tube wire installation, and artificial fireplace logs and ashes.     2 Seek product information or request a lab test.   Look for markings on the product that indicate it has asbestos in it, or track the product back to its manufacturer or supplier. If this doesn't work, submit a small sample to a laboratory for analysis. The cost for such analysis is minimal, typically around $25/sample. Laboratories are listed in the yellow pages of your telephone book under "Asbestos Consulting and Testing". Ask a laboratory technician to instruct you how to safely take a sample.     3 When in doubt, assume there is asbestos.   If you decide not to check for asbestos in a suspected material, you should assume it contains asbestos and take all the necessary precautions to avoid harm to you or your family.         If you have reason to believe your home contains asbestos, you have three options. 1 Leave it alone   Remember, asbestos is a problem only if fibers are released to the air.       Asbestos-containing materials that are in good repair and not being disturbed (i.e., no tears, rips, falling apart, or loosening) will not release asbestos fibers. Hence, the safest, easiest, and least expensive option may be to leave it alone.       If you are planning to remodel, sometimes it is possible to work around asbestos without removing it. For example, rather than removing a sheet vinyl floor with asbestos backing, it may be possible to lay the new sheet vinyl on top of the old, or to install a new ¼-inch plywood underlayment on top of the existing floor and then install the new sheet vinyl. If asbestos-containing material is damaged or will be disturbed as part of a remodeling project, then you must repair, encapsulate, or remove it.     2 Repair or encapsulate       Repair   Sometimes, asbestos can be repaired rather than removed. This is basically a process of securely re-sealing asbestos in its location. For example, a few inches of torn, loose, or frayed asbestos tape wrap on heating ducts can be repaired with duct tape. Damaged hot water pipe insulation can be covered with a specially designed fabric available at safety equipment stores.       Encapsulation   Some asbestos applications that are in good condition can be encapsulated to reduce the likelihood of asbestos fibers releasing into the air. Encapsulation is the best option when dealing with insulation on heating systems. There are two types of encapsulants.   Penetrating encapsulants are products that seep into asbestos-containing materials and bond with asbestos fibers securing them in place. They have little impact on the outward appearance of treated materials. Bridging encapsulants are products, such as paint, that coat asbestos-containing materials. They are most commonly used to encapsulate popcorn ceilings and furnace and heat duct insulation.       Be aware, however, that while encapsulation may seem like an attractive option, especially for furnace ducts or popcorn ceilings, there may be less obvious costs and risks involved. For example, painting to encapsulate may make future removal much more difficult and expensive. Also, popcorn applications that become too heavy with added encapsulant product, or through water damage, may fall off the ceiling in clumps, possibly releasing asbestos fibers.       In cases involving extensive asbestos damage or disturbance, removal may be the appropriate option.     3 Remove it       Hire an asbestos abatement contractor   If you decide to have asbestos removed from your home, Puget Sound Clean Air Agency strongly recommends that you hire a state-certified asbestos abatement contractor rather than do the removal yourself.       These experts have access to specialized removal equipment not available to do-it-yourself homeowners, thereby ensuring asbestos is effectively and safely removed. They also perform air monitoring to ensure that the air in your home meets acceptable standards after the project is completed.       Bonded, insured asbestos abatement contractors are in the yellow pages of your telephone book under "Asbestos Abatement." A list is also available from the Department of Labor and Industries (800-4-BE-SAFE or www.lni.wa.gov/wisha/topics/asbestos.htm ). Get several bids and check references before making a selection.       Do the work yourself       Homeowners may remove some asbestos themselves in their single-family residences. However, the work is difficult, time-consuming, and dangerous to your and others' health if prescribed procedures are not strictly followed.       Some projects, such as the removal of certain types of asbestos insulation on hot water boilers, are very hazardous and should be performed only by a state-certified asbestos abatement contractor.       Also, if you choose to remove asbestos yourself, you take on the legal liability of ensuring safe disposal of the hazardous debris to avoid health risks to your family and community.       You have a legal responsibility and liability       State law requires homeowners to manage and dispose of asbestos in certain ways- be sure you know what they are.       Before beginning a removal project       Call Puget Sound Clean Air Agency at 206-343-8800 or 800-552-3565 and ask for a "Notice of Single-Family Residence Asbestos Removal" form. The form is also available on the agency website: www.pscleanair.org . A $25 fee must be submitted with the form. Once signed by the agency, the form becomes your permit to dispose of asbestos waste at specified asbestos disposal sites.       Get free instructions for safe asbestos removal       Puget Sound Clean Air Agency provides "how-to" homeowner instruction guides for certain asbestos removal projects, including cement asbestos-board siding, spray-on "popcorn" ceilings, and sheet vinyl flooring.       To receive Puget Sound Clear Air Agency guides or to obtain other asbestos information, call: 206-343-8800 or 800-552-3565. These guides are also available online at www.pscleanair.org .       Have a Great New Year!!