A couple I knew both died of cancer. One was 58 years old when he died of mesothelioma and the other was 73 when she died of ovarian cancer.
There’s 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.
They lived in an old house that was renovated in the late 1970s.
The Minnesota department of health website is my go-to place for explaining asbestous to my clients.
People think of old pipes and boiler systems that are covered with asbestos insulation and do not consider the many other places it can be found.
Here are some of the places asbestos can be found in a house:
Adhesives
Appliance components
Ceiling products
- Ceiling texture (Popcorn texture)
- Ceiling tiles
- Ceiling tile mastic
Cement-asbestos board (Transite) products
- Chimney flue lining
- Ducts
- Pipes
- Shingles
- Siding
- Wall panels
Electrical products
- Cloth wire insulation
- Electrical panels
Flooring Products
- Asphalt floor tiles
- Floor tile mastic
- Vinyl floor tiles
- Vinyl sheet flooring (linoleum)
Heating and Cooling System products
- Boiler insulation
- Ductwork insulation
- Furnace insulation
- Gaskets
- Heat shields (paper and corrugated cardboard)
- Pipe insulation
- Tank insulation
Paints and coatings
Plaster
Roofing Products
- Base flashing
- Felt
- Shingles
- Tar or “Black Jack”
Table pads
Vermiculite
- Attic and wall insulation
- Fireplace decoration
- Gardening products
Vinyl wall coverings
Wall applications
- Caulking and putties
- Spackling compounds
Wallboard or sheetrock
Wallboard joint compound
Window glazing
