what does asbestos insulation look like? opened up a wall and found some paper face batt that consisted of some black insulation. It is not “blackened” it is black. the consitency is a somewhat different then the usual but still seems to be a fiberglass type. the house is about 50 years old.
I don’t know what asbestos looks like, are there different kinds? how do I identify it.
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Replies
Alrightythen
You may have Rockwool insulation which is a metal fiber insulation that was used in the past. Asbestos is usually white or light gray in color with a white wrapper. You could take a sample and have it tested by an engineering firm. Cost $25.00 for a bulk sample here. Take a magnet and see if the fibers are attracted to it. If they do you have Rockwool. Let us know what you find out.
Mark
thnks Litefoot and zak....
My feeling was that it should be ok..but it's always better look into it if you don't know. I don't want to risk my guy.
sounds like rockwool, also called mineral fiber. Asbestos will be white, and a dense composition of shortish fibers.
zak
"so it goes"
Asbestos freaks me out. Seams it is in damn near everything. I know I've inhaled much of it in my career and wait for the day that it starts killing me. If I suspect it is in something, I ask the customer to get it tested and I won't work there until it is determined that asbestos is not present or it is abated.
I just won't work around it anymore. Let them suck someone else in. I'm done with it.
I saw some asbestos skirting today on a job I'm to bid.
It's everywhere.
You are wise to ask first, work second!
Grunge on. http://grungefm.com
I've read somewhere that asbestos was the plastic of it's day- sort of a miracle fiber. From the sound of it, companies would sometimes put it in a product just so they could say such and such had asbestos in it. Freaky. Makes you wonder what the modern equivalents of that are.
On the other hand, it makes you realize that an incredible number of people are unknowingly exposed, and there are really not that many people dying of asbestosis. Compared to car crashes or heart disease anyway. Not a fun way to go though.zak
"so it goes"
Be careful with rockwool too though.... it's nasty stuff to get in your lungs as well.
Asbestos IS a great product for many applications. Yes, they still mine it and use the stuff today. Many mines in Canada.
Asbestos is present in the air you breath all day long. It's naturally occuring. When we test the air at jobsites, we have to run some tests before the work begins to get a background sample to compare the naturally occuring % vs the % once the work/abatement starts occuring.
Ithaca, NY "10 square miles, surrounded by reality"
"Asbestos is present in the air you breath all day long. It's naturally occuring. When we test the air at jobsites, we have to run some tests before the work begins to get a background sample to compare the naturally occuring % vs the % once the work/abatement starts occuring."
There is very, very little to no asbestos naturally occurring in the air. What you are getting is the stuff used in brake linings and other uses still being cleaned up from building demolitions. Studies in downtown Toronto and Montreal found enough fibers in the air that a person at rest breathing 3 liters per minute of air could inhale up to 7 million fibers per year. Think about a jogger!!! And they require complete protection on work sites with "space suits", HEPA filtration of any exhausted air, workers must shower when leaving the site. What about the average Joe??
Everything in moderation I guess....
There are much worse things to worry about in life. For example, I'd be more concerned about the carcinogens from the truck's exhaust pipe than the asbestos from their brakes. Ithaca, NY "10 square miles, surrounded by reality"
That's true. But I put that in because some people on another building forum (with a misanthropic top poster) were being told that 1 fiber can kill you. Not untrue but the probability of that happening is about 1 in something with how many zeros behind it!!!
Anyways, I and another poster brought the 2 city studies of asbestos in the air to the board and drew rebukes from many!! Eventually I was not allowed to post because I always backed up my claims with referrals to gov't/independent studies. Turns out the forum administrators and "top poster" were aquaintenances from meeting at their "fests".
An example of "top poster's" info was that he was telling people not to use cellulose insulation due to all the chemicals in it. Here, this product is heavily promoted by many!! I posted that he should verify his claims before speaking, showed the board to a gov't and industry website on the relatively benign chemicals like borax in cellulose......and so began a poor relationship!!
I'd worry about the fire retardant bromides in my mattress (since i'm in intimate contact with it daily), UV from sunlight, chemicals in my food......