Asbestos

What It Means

Asbestos is a group of natural mineral fibers that were once built into many home materials, from floor tiles and insulation to shingles and textured paint. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says asbestos that isn't damaged and won't be disturbed isn't a risk to the people living there. The danger comes when the material is broken, sanded, cut or crumbling: fibers get into the air, and breathing them can cause lung disease and several cancers.

How It Sounds at Home

• "Those old floor tiles might have asbestos in them."
• "Don't touch that pipe wrap until someone tests it."
• "We need an asbestos inspection before the kitchen remodel."

The Breakdown

What EPA advises for a home

• Leave undamaged material that may contain asbestos alone.
• Keep activity to a minimum in any area with damaged material, and keep children away from it.
• Take care not to damage it.
• Don't track material that could contain asbestos through the house. If you have to walk through the area, have it cleaned with a wet mopMoppingWashing a hard floor with a damp mop and a cleaner mixed in water, after the loose dirt has been swept or vacuumed up. See more.
• Have removal and major repair done by people trained and qualified in handling asbestos. EPA highly recommends that sampling and minor repair go to a trained and accredited asbestos professional too.

Where it may be. EPA lists these among the materials that may contain asbestos: vinyl floor tiles, decorative or textured paint, ceiling tiles, insulation board on walls, caulkingCaulkingSealing cracks and gaps between parts of a house that don't move, such as around window and door frames, with a flexible filler called caulk. See more or putty, roof shingles, and hot water or steam pipes coated with asbestos material or wrapped in asbestos blanket or tape. Vermiculite attic insulation gets its own EPA page.

When to get an inspection. EPA says you may want an accredited asbestos professional to inspect the home if you're planning to remodel or the building materials are damaged. If they aren't damaged and won't be disturbed, you don't need to test. An accredited inspector can look at the home, take samples and advise what needs doing.

Documents. Buhata's own suggestion: keep the inspector's report and any lab results with your home papers, since a buyer or contractor may ask for them later.

Good to Know

EPA says asbestos fibers released by disturbing the material can cause asbestosis, a lung disease, and cancers including mesothelioma and lung, ovarian and laryngeal cancer. Since EPA's advice is to avoid damaging the material, don't sand, saw, scrape or pull apart anything you suspect contains asbestos to find out. If you think you've been exposed, tell your doctor. Buhata's own suggestion: before hiring anyone for removal, ask your state or local government what rules and licenses apply where you live.

Related Terms and Categories

• Radon test

  A measurement of the radon gas in a home's air, read in picocuries per liter (pCi/L). EPA recommends fixing a home at 4 pCi/L or more.

• Home inspection

  A professional look at a home's condition, usually before buying, that reports which systems and parts need repair or may need replacing soon.

• Licensed contractor

  A contractor who holds the license your state or local government requires for the kind of work being done, which you can check before you hire.

• Building permit

  Written approval from your city or county to build, repair or tear down part of a building, followed by inspections to check the work meets local codes.

• Insulation R-value

  A number that rates how well insulation resists heat flowing through it. The higher the R-value, the better it insulates.

Home maintenance and repairs