Legacy materials
Asbestos
Asbestos is a family of naturally occurring fibrous minerals that were used in construction for most of the twentieth century because they are cheap, strong and fireproof. Inhaled fibres lodge in lung tissue and stay there, and decades later can cause asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma.
The governing fact for a homeowner is counterintuitive: material in good condition is usually safest left exactly where it is. Asbestos in a floor tile is bound in the tile. It becomes a hazard when somebody takes a sander to it.
Where it lives
Common locations in an older house
Pipe and boiler insulation
Wrapped lagging and blanket insulation on heating pipes and boilers, especially pre-1980.
Vinyl floor tiles and backing
9-inch tiles are a classic tell, along with the black bituminous adhesive under them.
Textured coatings
Sprayed or troweled ceiling and wall texture, including popcorn ceilings, into the 1980s.
Cement sheet and roofing
Corrugated sheet, shingles, siding and soffits. Very common and usually stable.
Attic and wall insulation
Vermiculite loose-fill, particularly the Libby-sourced material sold as Zonolite.
Around heat sources
Millboard, cement sheet and paper behind wood stoves and in furnace ducting.
Locations follow EPA guidance on asbestos in the home. Presence cannot be confirmed visually; only laboratory analysis of a properly taken sample can establish it.
The rule
Leave it alone, or have it handled properly
Assess, do not disturb
Look at the condition without touching it. Intact, sealed, out of the way of traffic and not deteriorating means the correct action is usually to leave it and check it periodically.
Test before you renovate
The dangerous moment is renovation. Before sanding a floor, removing a ceiling texture, cutting into pipe lagging or demolishing anything in an older house, have the material tested by an accredited inspector.
Repair or remove, by a professional
Damaged material can sometimes be encapsulated or enclosed rather than removed, which is cheaper and disturbs less. Where removal is needed it is a licensed trade with containment and disposal requirements.
Getting it done
Use separate firms to inspect and to remove
The EPA specifically suggests using different companies for assessment and for abatement, so that the firm telling you how much removal is necessary is not the firm billing for the removal. Ask for accreditation, for a written scope, for air clearance testing after the work, and for the waste disposal documentation.
Federal rules under AHERA govern accreditation, and states run their own licensing on top. Requirements for what a homeowner may do in their own single-family home vary considerably by state and locality, so check yours before assuming anything.
Guidance follows EPA and OSHA materials on asbestos in the home and the AHERA accreditation framework. Requirements vary by state and locality. This page is information, not legal advice. Lung.com publishes environmental and public-health data. It is not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, and it is not a substitute for a clinician.
Questions
Asbestos, answered
Is asbestos in my house dangerous right now?
Asbestos that is intact, undamaged and undisturbed generally does not release fibres, and the EPA's standing advice is to leave that material alone and monitor its condition. The hazard arises when material becomes friable, meaning it can be crumbled by hand, or when someone drills, sands, saws or sweeps it.
How do I know if something contains asbestos?
You cannot tell by looking. The only way to know is a laboratory analysis of a sample, and taking that sample is itself a job for someone trained, because sampling badly is a way of releasing fibres. An accredited inspector will sample and have it analysed.
Which houses are likely to contain it?
Asbestos was used extensively in US construction until the late 1970s and continued in some products afterwards. A pre-1980 building should be assumed to contain some until tested; a pre-1990 building is worth checking before any work that disturbs original material.
Can I remove it myself?
In many jurisdictions a homeowner may legally do limited work in their own single-family home, but that is not the same as it being sensible. Abatement involves negative-pressure containment, wetting, specific respiratory protection and regulated waste disposal. Removal done badly contaminates a house that was previously safe to live in.
What about the vermiculite in my attic?
Vermiculite insulation, especially the Zonolite product sourced from Libby, Montana, should be assumed to contain asbestos. The EPA's advice is not to disturb it: do not store things in that attic, do not let children play there, and do not run cables through it. Have it assessed before any work up there.
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