When Hunt Blair discovered asbestos on the pipes in the basement of his 24-unit Rogers Park co-op, his first reaction was to get the material out of the building.
After receiving several bids to remove the asbestos at a cost of up to $30,000, Blair investigated other alternatives.
”I found out from several non-biased sources that asbestos was not as dangerous as once thought and that removing it could possibly cause more of a health hazard than letting it be,” said Blair, the co-op board`s president.
”So the co-op members decided to remove the asbestos that was deteriorating, seal off the asbestos that could be damaged accidentally, and basically leave the rest alone.”
Furthermore, such an approach could be accomplished for around $1,500.
”It just made good sense to me not only from a financial standpoint but from a health standpoint,” says Blair. ”Why disturb the asbestos if it posed no threat?”
Blair`s story is becoming more common with homeowners facing asbestos in their dwellings.
In other words, if you find asbestos in your home, you shouldn`t panic. At the same time, you shouldn`t take the discovery lightly.
”The general rule of thumb is if the asbestos is in good shape, it`s posing no apparent risk. If it`s in bad shape, it could be a problem,” says Bill Brennan, vice president of Brennan`s PEB and Associates, a Chicago-based asbestos abatement and removal firm that also includes Brennan`s brother Patrick, who is president, and their father, Bill Sr.
”There are two ways to look at it: No one knows how much asbestos it takes to get sick; but everyone believes there is some risk at any level,”
says Nicholas Peneff of Chicago-based Public Health and Safety Inc., an environmental consulting firm that does asbestos inspections and also monitors firms that remove asbestos.
In fact, environmental experts in recent years have re-evaluated what steps should be taken when asbestos is discovered in a home. Depending on the condition of the asbestos, many experts feel it is better to seal it off than remove it.
”A few years ago, the mindset was to get the stuff out of the house,”
says Peneff. ”Now the mindset is in-house management. And it`s now believed that a badly done removal job can cause more health problems than if you let the asbestos be.”
”The greatest health risk comes when you have to disturb the material,” says Gary Miller, an assistant director at Champaign-based Hazardous Waste Research and Information Center, a division of the Illinois Department of Energy and Natural Resources.
”Asbestos becomes dangerous when it becomes `friable`-when it starts to deteriorate and possibly release microscopic fibers in the air,” adds Miller. What is it?
Asbestos is a natural mineral fiber that became a common building material in the early 1900s, when it was found to offer fire-retardant, insulation and acoustical benefits. In the 1960s, however, the fibrous nature of the material was linked to health problems. By 1978, it had been eliminated from new home materials.
No one knows how much asbestos it takes for a person to get sick, says Peneff.
”All the research that has been done was done on workers exposed to very high levels of asbestos without any protection,” he says. ”About 50 to 70 percent of those workers ended up with an asbestos-related disease. That was made worse by the fact that many of the workers smoked.”
Asbestos is known to cause asbestosis, a potentially fatal scarring of lung tissue, as well as lung and digestive-tract cancers. Researchers believe such diseases stem from inhaling the microscopic fibers of asbestos, which, because of their durability, remain in the lungs for many years. Asbestos-related diseases may take decades to develop, researchers believe.
Where is it found?
If your home is more than 20 years old, it`s likely to have asbestos in it, experts say.
The most common place to find asbestos in a home is in the whitish, cloth-like wrapping on hot water- or steam-heat pipes, which usually are located in a basement. Asbestos wrappings also were commonly used on cold water pipes to prevent condensation. ”Pipes, especially at elbow joints, are the first place asbestos usually deteriorates,” Peneff says.
Asbestos also may be found on the flues of chimneys, where it`s usually mixed in with mortar and is much less likely to deteriorate than on pipes.
Asbestos also was used in floor and ceiling tiles, in walls and ceilings as insulation or wallboard material and in textured paint. Outside, asbestos can be found in shingles, siding and even cement.
”Usually, asbestos in tiles or insulation or wallboard material is not a potential risk unless you`re drilling into those materials for some reason and you`re breathing the dust,” says Miller. ”Asbestos in those places rarely breaks down on its own.”
What to do about it
The best way to look for asbestos in your home is to hire a professional. Experts recommend using a laboratory or a environmental consultant, neither of which will have a financial interest in the outcome of their findings.
If asbestos is found under your roof, you have several options:
– If the asbestos is not friable, you may just leave it alone. ”If you don`t disturb it, it`s unlikely to cause any kind of risk,” says Miller
However, the asbestos generally needs to be avoided to prevent any potential damage and periodically monitored for any signs of deterioration, especially if any repairs are made in these areas. Material that is suspected to contain asbestos should never be drilled, sawed, sanded, etc.
– Another option is sealing the asbestos, a process known as encapsulation. ”What you`re basically doing is sealing your pipes with a high-tech paint,” says Brennan.
There are two types of encapsulants: a paint-like material that is coated over the asbestos and a self-setting cement tape that is wetted and then hardens like a cast.
”The encapsulation process also prevents any distribution of asbestos fibers that can take place with the removal of asbestos,” says Peneff. ”The recommendation is if the asbestos is in good shape, then seal it.”
But encapsulation is far from a panacea, says Brennan. ”My question would be, `What is the space going to be used for?` Because a child playing with a pool cue or someone walking by with a bicycle on their shoulder could disturb the asbestos even if it has been sealed,” he says.
After encapsulating asbestos, there is an additional step a homeowner can take to prevent any problems: ”You could build a box around the sealed pipes to limit any disturbances,” says Peneff.
For example, if you`re planning on finishing the space, drywall or a drop ceiling might be the best option. ”I`ve seen people use cyclone fencing and even plexiglass to box off the area,” adds Peneff.
Ceiling tiles with asbestos can also be encapsulated by covering them with drywall-again as long as they are not disturbed. And floor tiles suspected of containing asbestos are basically sealed when another layer of tile is placed over them, Peneff says.
Once asbestos is encapsulated, it needs to be checked frequently for any damage, experts say.
Encapsulation is usually the most inexpensive way to deal with asbestos. Costs can range from a few hundred dollars and up, depending on the amount of work needed.
Because of the risks of releasing fibers, experts generally recommend the work be done by a professional contractor. However, competent do-it-yourselfers should be able to box off the sealed asbestos, says Peneff.
– Removal is an option to consider if the asbestos is deteriorating, if you`re planning on a major home renovation, or if you plan on converting the area into well-used living space, says Brennan.
Removal often requires the asbestos to be broken apart, so fog machines and air sprayers are used to keep the particles from becoming airborne.
”These machines create a fine mist in the air so that any fibers that are released become saturated, fall to ground and are cleaned up,” he explains.
”The setup and cleanup of a removal job should take as long as the removal process itself,” adds Brennan.
Removal is usually more expensive than encapsulation because of the high labor costs. There usually are disposal costs, too, so a removal project can easily start at about $2,000 and escalate, depending on the size of the project.
For more information
An asbestos abatement and removal contractor should have taken an EPA-approved abatement course, the experts advise. And Brennan suggests that homeowners get at least three bids.
For more information, contact the following organizations:
– The Hazardous Waste Research and Information Center can make referrals to asbestos testing labs and firms that are qualified in dealing with asbestos materials. It also has numerous publications available on asbestos. Write to the Hazardous Waste Research and Information Center, One East Hazelwood Dr., Champaign, Ill. 61820-7465; or call 217-333-8940.
– The booklet ”Asbestos in Your Home” is available by writing to the Consumer Product Safety Commission at Publications Request, CPSC, Washington, D.C., 20207.
– The Environmental Protection Agency`s Toxic Substances Control Act hotline answers questions on asbestos. Call 202-554-1404 during business hours weekdays.
