Where Does Asbestos Usually Hide?

24 August 2015

Eugene Vargas

Asbestos is a mineral commonly found in a white colour, but there have been some reported cases of asbestos featuring a blue or brown tint. Overall, the asbestos mineral's appearance is highly dependent on the initial material used while mixing to construct the structure. For example, people commonly use polymers, cement, asphalt, or starch as binders; each of these offering asbestos different colours. If you are looking to start an asbestos removal project, here are some of the most common spots where it can be found.

Plumbing

One of the most common hiding spots for asbestos is your plumbing installation. The radiator pipes specifically are wrapped in asbestos in order to offer better insulation, but this can also cause you a plethora of health issues. As a result, you should replace the asbestos pipes with safe plumbing equipment so as you avoid the risk of getting a potentially life threatening disease. It's recommended that you don't try to remove the pipes yourself, as some fibres may become detached from the pipes and eventually become airborne. When airborne, these fibres can be inhaled into your lungs and make you sick. One way to avoid this risk is to hire a professional such as McMahon Services.

Heating Pipes

In the past, most heating pipes were made entirely out of asbestos because it was the most affordable solution at the time. However, recent advances in technology have led to heating pipes being created out of metals and simply wrapped in asbestos. If you notice that your pipe is made entirely out of asbestos and doesn't have any signs of corrugation, then you should seek to remove it. Remember that these asbestos fibres can be released into the air and cause life threatening diseases such as lung cancer, asbestosis, and even mesothelioma.

If your house has a furnace, make sure to check at the base of it for any signs of asbestos. Old furnaces tend to be built on a sitting pad of asbestos, which can deteriorate over time. These furnaces are also probably featuring asbestos that is used to join the duct pipes to the boiler. If you don't want to remove them completely, you can wrap them in a protective coating in order to reduce the risk of asbestos related diseases.

Flooring

Another common hiding spot for asbestos is your flooring. For example, the modern tiles that you purchase to decorate your floor feature a small amount of asbestos deeply embedded in the tiles. While this does not pose any health risks, you should remember not to ever scrap or even sand the tiles "to get a better look". By doing that you can reach the asbestos part and ultimately release the dangerous fibres in the air.

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