Asbestos is a material that poses serious health risks to you and your family. Despite its toxicity, it was widely used as a construction material for Pennsylvania homes in the 1970s. In fact, many of those homes still stand today.
As a result, Pennsylvania homeowners continue to live with asbestos in their homes. Knowing how to manage these safely is the key to protecting yourself from exposure and the potential risk of mesothelioma.
Checking your home for asbestos
You can take proper safety measures to keep your family safe once you understand where asbestos hides in your home. Hence, you should know what to look out for, where to check and when to call professionals.
Here are some areas in your home that are prone to asbestos-containing materials:
- Your home’s pipelines: You can usually find asbestos wrapped around pipes in your basement, crawl spaces or heating ducts since they were used as insulation materials.
- Your home’s flooring: You can also find asbestos in your floor tiles and cement due to their durability and strength.
- Your home’s paints: Its texture and heat-resistant properties made asbestos a good material for your home’s paint.
You can make informed decisions about asbestos management or removal once you know where they are in your home. Acting immediately once you have exposed asbestos at home puts your family at less risk of developing mesothelioma in the future.
Managing asbestos in your home safely
You can live safely with asbestos in your home as long as they remain in good condition. Undisturbed asbestos poses minimal risk to you as long as the fibers are intact. You can manage asbestos safely at home by:
- Leaving it alone if it’s intact: Asbestos materials in good condition do not release fibers into your home’s air. But you should still monitor them regularly for signs of wear and tear.
- Keeping asbestos fibers from spreading: Never try to sand, drill, cut or disturb asbestos in your home to keep fibers from going airborne. Wet the area and seal it off immediately if you suspect damages to the asbestos material in your home.
- Getting professional abatement or removal: Call professional inspection and removal services immediately if you think you have exposed asbestos in your home.
Living with asbestos in your home doesn’t always have to be scary. Professional management keeps your family safe without the risk of exposure or complete removal.
Dealing with disturbed asbestos in your home
Living in a home with disturbed asbestos can put your family at risk for mesothelioma. If you suspect you have exposed asbestos in your home, connect with professionals who can help you safely identify and remove the material.
Pennsylvania law protects homeowners from asbestos exposure. Taking control of your home’s asbestos situation today protects your family’s health in the future.