Asbestos
Asbestos is a natural mineral substance that has several properties,
such as being fire resistant, which make it a useful ingredient in a
variety of products. Until it was more or less banned in about 1978,
Asbestos was used in such common building materials as wallboard
compound, insulation, textured paint, acoustic coatings, roofing and
siding shingles, and resilient flooring products (sheet vinyl and
tiles). Asbestos is also often found in vermiculite attic
insulation. If your home was built before 1979, it is likely that it
contains some asbestos products. Ordinarily, these products pose
little health risk unless they are "friable", that is, breaking
apart so that small fibers may be floating in the air. These fibers
then may be breathed into the lungs, where they become permanently
lodged and are known to cause severe health problems including
cancer and chronic breathing difficulties.
