Asbestos in the Home – List of Likely Places Where it is Found

No one wants to have asbestos in the home. Many home owners are not aware though since it is hard to spot asbestos. The use of asbestos in homes was rampant during the early 1950’s up to the 1980’s. However, just because your house was not built in between those dates does not mean that it is free from this harmful, toxic material.  If you home was built during this time period, it is important to be aware of the possibility of being exposed to asbestos.

The biggest problem that home owners have is how to find out if their house actually contains asbestos contaminated materials. And to do this, one has to find out where in the house it is found and which material it could be. But identifying it is a difficult task. Testing for asbestos requires one to send in samples to an asbestos testing lab. And only a trained professional is allowed to do both the sample taking and the testing. One can not tell just by sight alone. It is especially hard since asbestos is usually mixed in with concrete, paint, resins, or other building materials.

So just where in your house should you look? Where can asbestos usually be found? The following is a list of places in a house where asbestos materials are commonly found:

-Pantry / Kitchen – Since this is a place where cooking is done, fire has been a concern. Some kitchen insulation materials contain asbestos. Tiles in the floor might also contain the substance.
-Hallway – The back part of a fuse box has been fortified with asbestos in the past to prevent fire.
-Bathroom – Here floor tiles or vinyl sheet flooring can contain asbestos.
-Look also in wall paneling, popcorn ceilings, outbuildings, soffit boards, and various coatings.

-Other suspect areas include roofing material, exterior siding and insulated piping.
These are just some of the many places to where one can find it. Remember to consult a licensed professional to inspect and take samples from these areas. Tampering with them yourself might exacerbate the danger. Take action and rid your home of this cancer causing material as soon as possible especially if you are renovating or remodeling your home.