While it was once a very common option for many different home fixtures, asbestos is no longer applied in construction. It’s widely known that asbestos components may pose several health risks. Don’t touch asbestos if you think that it might be there. Once disturbed, its fibers will be emitted in the air and impose a major health hazard if you are breathing when they are present.

If you plan to renovate your home, it’s best to get it inspected by a roofing expert in advance. If asbestos fibers are present, you’ll have to go for an expert asbestos clearing job to make sure your home is healthy and safe.

Insulation

Some different insulation options may have asbestos. Such a type is known as “vermiculite” and it’s the most typical to have asbestos. Asbestos also hides in older cellulose insulation types, droopy fill fiberglass, and rock wool materials. If you can’t tell which kind of insulation your attic has, your safest bet is to suspect that it has asbestos already. Don’t touch it and contact an expert for a professional inspection. It’s best to be safe if you are unsure that something in your home contains asbestos or not.

Exterior Stucco

Contemporary stucco doesn’t have asbestos but if your house was constructed from 1940 to 1990, you should get it inspected. The plaster level in aged stucco types, as illustrated in the image above, may have asbestos in it. Back then, the addition of asbestos was a cost-efficient way to prolong the lifespan and fire-resistance properties in external stucco layers, and people were not aware of its potential health risks. Even if your old home contains a low level of asbestos, it’s still risky and needs immediate professional clearing.

Older Drywalls

Older drywalls are also common hosts for asbestos. These may be tapes, drywall sheets, and compounds and they are very hard to spot to the naked untrained eye. When it’s insulated and painted, it’s not hazardous because the fibers are not bothered. However, if your home is 40 years old or older, it is suggested to have it inspected by a professional for the presence of asbestos. Even drilling holes into the drywall to hang wall decor shelves may lead to asbestos release.

Flooring

It’s not so rare for older houses to use linoleum sheet or tile flooring material that has asbestos. If your home is more than half a century old and there are no stone or hardwood tile floors, chances are, your existing flooring features asbestos. Sheet flooring especially that has asbestos is very hazardous and should only be taken off by an expert.

A common method to tackle flooring with asbestos is adding another flooring material on top of it to seal it. If your house is older and has another layer of layer added on top, make sure that there is not an existing flooring underneath before removing it. If there is and you start ripping it off, you risk ruining your health.