Asbestos roofs have been proven to be harmful to health. Regulations require property owners to investigate their asbestos roofs and determine whether they need to be replaced. Property owners should replace them either way as buyers may refuse to purchase properties with asbestos roofs.
Even if asbestos is in your home, this is usually NOT a serious problem. The mere presence of asbestos in a home or a building is not hazardous. The danger is that asbestos materials may become damaged over time. Damaged asbestos may release asbestos fibers and become a health hazard.
Overall, asbestos makes for great material for roofing, but it can pose some health risks. The overall life expectancy of an asbestos cement shingle roof would be 30 – 50 years if the circumstances are just right.
No, living in a house with asbestos in the walls is not safe. Asbestos is a known carcinogen, and breathing its fibers can cause major respiratory issues such as lung cancer and mesothelioma.
If asbestos is discovered in crucial areas like insulation or roofing, the perceived risk may be heightened, leading to a decrease in the property's overall value. Reducing the impact of asbestos on the value of a property requires dealing with the issue through remediation or removal.
The only way to identify asbestos with complete confidence is to examine it under a specialized microscope. To do this, an EPA-certified contractor collects a sample and sends it to an EPA-certified lab for examination. If the test comes back positive, rest assured that yes, it's legal to sell a home with asbestos.
Approximately 12% of current homes in the U.S. were built prior to 1940. This data from the U.S. Census Bureau means more than half of U.S. homes were built with asbestos in or around the walls, floorboards, ceiling tiles, roof tiles, insulation, pipes and electrical wires.
One-time exposure to asbestos can cause diseases, including mesothelioma cancer. Researchers have found repeated exposure to asbestos increases the risk of developing asbestos-related cancers. The risk to individuals who have a one-time exposure to asbestos is generally lower compared to long-term or repeated exposure.
Homes built before the 1980s likely have asbestos in them. For instance, if these homes have popcorn ceilings or vinyl flooring, they may contain asbestos. A simple rule is the newer a home is, the less likely it has asbestos materials. Homes built before the 1980s are likely to contain the mineral somewhere.
Asbestos is no longer added to popcorn ceilings because it's a known health risk. The chances of your ceiling containing asbestos are low for any installations in the late 1980s or after. Newly constructed ceilings don't use asbestos.
Asbestos Roof Cancer Risks
If breathed in, these fibers can lodge in the lungs and other tissues, causing damage that may lead to cancer and other serious health problems 10-50 years later.
Never use high pressure water to clean your asbestos roof. There are lots of safe alternatives on the market that have been specifically designed for Super Six roofs, including surface primers, fungicides and paints. Better still, why don't you consider having the roof replaced using modern materials, if possible.
While roof shingles were rarely ever made using asbestos, there is a small chance that your roof shingles could contain asbestos if your house was built before the 1980s. Asphalt shingles were the type of shingles most likely to contain small amounts of asbestos, as well as asbestos-cement shingles.
If asbestos-containing material is more than slightly damaged or if you are going to make changes in your home that might disturb it, repair or removal by a trained and accredited asbestos professional is needed.
One of the most worrying issues with asbestos is that in the event that it does get disturbed, it can be easily released into the air, and remain there for some time. It is thought that disturbed asbestos can stay airborne for as long as 48 to 72 hours before settling.
The only way to know for sure whether your roof contains asbestos is to have a sample tested by professionals in a certified laboratory. The result of the test will lead you to the next step. Accordingly, if the material contains less than 1% asbestos, it is safe and does not require removal.
On July 12, 1989, EPA issued a final rule under Section 6 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) banning most asbestos-containing products in the United States. In 1991, the rule was vacated and remanded to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Asbestos and the risk of disease
However, the risk of developing an asbestos-related disease with exposure levels the public may experience on a daily basis is extremely low. For example, the background rate for getting mesothelioma is about 1 per million people per year.
N95 masks do not protect against gases, vapors and cannot be used for asbestos, and they do not provide oxygen.
Your older home probably did not come with an inventory of all asbestos containing materials, but if the house in which you live was built before 1980, there's a good chance that you'll find asbestos containing materials in the walls, ceiling, roof or floors – or all of the above.
Asbestos that is in good condition and left undisturbed is unlikely to present a health risk. The risks from asbestos occur when it is damaged or disturbed where asbestos fibers become airborne and can be inhaled. Managing asbestos in place and maintaining it in good repair is often the best approach.
Asbestos abatement and remediation are not generally covered by home insurance. However, due to the potential health risks, it's important to have knowledgeable professionals inspect an older home before major work is done.
Asbestos use has declined since the 1970s, but many older homes still contain asbestos. In an older home, asbestos may be in the paint, insulation and floor tiles. Many U.S. homes and public buildings built before the 1980s, such as schools and office buildings, contain asbestos.