It seems that every few years a new hazard is discovered in our homes that can affect our health. And for awhile everyone is talking about it. It will be on every news show and consumer advocates will tell buyers to make sure they don’t buy a house without testing for it. There will be flood of lawsuits, followed by new and improved disclosures and the issue drops out of the public’s conciousness waiting to be replaced by a new scare a few years later. Since I’ve been in real estate, I’ve seen scares over lead based paint, asbestos, radon gas, toxic mold, radon gas again (it could be in your granite counter tops, don’tcha know!) and probably a few more that I’ve forgotten. These issues seldom warrant the initial hysteria that surrounds them but they shouldn’t be ignored. Every home buyer in California is required to be given the RESIDENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS:A Guide For Homeowners, Homebuyers, Landlords and Tenants that covers many hazards, including asbestos, but few buyers really read it and it is soon lost with the mountain of paperwork that surrounds a home purchase.
As a consequence, millions of U.S. citizens are under the impression that asbestos exposure is a concern of the past and are unaware aware that the remodeling of older homes has the potential to cause toxic exposure. Homes built before 1980 could easily contain asbestos. Nonregulated asbestos material can be legally performed by homeowners, regular contractors, or licensed asbestos abatement contractors as long as the National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) are not violated.
The health risks involved in handling non regulated asbestos materials is small but the removal should be done in a manner that will minimize the release of fibers due to breakage. It is recommended, because breakage in inevitable, that one wears asbestos related safety equipment including a disposable tyvek suit, gloves and must be medically able to wear a half mask respirator with High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters, and adhere to the principles of wet removal and without visible emissions.
It’s worth taking the time to do research before tackling a big project whether you plan to do it yourself or hire a contractor. For more in-depth information on health issues associated with asbestos, visit the Mesothelioma Cancer Center. You should also visit the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District’s Website.
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