Asbestos in the Home

Your home is your castle, your safe haven, and the center of family life. It is sobering to discover that it may also be a source of asbestos exposure. Many houses built between 1930 and 1950 had asbestos in home insulation. Asbestos in paint, house siding, roofing, vinyl floors, textured ceiling tiles, plumbing pipes, electrical wires, and cement was extremely common from the 1930s to the 1980s, when legislation restricted asbestos use in the United States.

As older homes age and begin to deteriorate, it also means there is a greater chance for asbestos exposure.

Biggest risks for asbestos exposure in the home

Remodeling an older home often involves cutting, sanding, knocking down walls, redoing plumbing or electrical wiring, and other activities that break construction materials apart. Regardless of how the asbestos fibers become airborne, exposure—and the related health risks—can occur.

If the home was built before the 1970s, consider hiring licensed professionals for removing asbestos from your home. Renovation can potentially disturb asbestos-containing materials. Also, it is safer to assume that materials contain asbestos and take proper precautions than suffer the consequences of exposing your family to asbestos.

Demolishing an old home to clear the property for a new home can also release a considerable amount of asbestos. In general, asbestos exposure in the home can occur during construction, renovation, or demolition.

Home exposure through household goods

Purchasing old appliances that are decades old or disposing of a deceased parent’s household possessions may also expose you to asbestos because many everyday home products used to contain asbestos. These are a few examples of household products that used to contain asbestos:

The more you understand the potential for asbestos exposure, the better you can protect your family against health risks.