Living in an older home may mean that a mortgage is closer to being paid off than ever before. The family has extra funds to renovate the house so that it’s brought into the 21st century. However, complications arise when it comes to renovating an older home. Asbestos can be a hidden danger within the structure’s walls. Learn how this material impacts the entire household with possible health concerns in the far future.
How Older Construction Affects The Home Today
Asbestos materials were popular choices for structures in the 1970s and earlier, states Angie’s List. These fibrous products insulated a home while reducing the chances of fire with their presence. It was also incredibly affordable to buy and install. Homeowners who live in these dwellings today can still have the asbestos-related materials embedded in the walls and ceilings. It’s often hidden behind drywall and within popcorn ceilings. Families are often in the dark about its presence, which can lead to cancer if breathed in over extended time periods.
The Renovation Process
When any home goes through a major renovation, asbestos-related materials can become airborne. Cutting into drywall, scraping popcorn from the ceiling and a myriad of other tasks can break apart the materials. Asbestos-related materials in their whole form won’t harm the family. Breaking apart any section of the material, however, allows the fibers to detach from the structure. Family members must be aware of their home’s material construction before trying any DIY project.
Fiber Suspension
A family’s health is as stake when any asbestos-related materials are forced into an airborne state. They don’t just fall directly to the floor where they’re visible the entire time. These fibers are incredibly tiny on a microscopic level. Family members unknowingly breathe in the fibers where they lodge into the lung tissue. No health concerns arise immediately afterward. It’s the waiting time between exposure and cancer-related illnesses that make exposure a serious, cancer issue. Emerging treatments are always being explored so that waiting times dwindle in length and patients understand their risk levels.
Disclosure Concerns
From a legal perspective, any structures with documented and harmful materials must have disclosure paperwork involved. It doesn’t matter if a family owns or rents the property. There must be full disclosure about the asbestos-related materials so that every person can be careful about their exposure levels. Mesothelioma and other cancers are possible when harmful fibers are hidden within the home.
Pregnant Women and Children
According to the Seattle Children’s Hospital, pregnant women and children are the most vulnerable when it comes to exposure. Women readying the home for a newborn are in the structure more often with extra projects being performed. Curious children may breathe in the asbestos-related fibers as they play in the area. Limiting the family’s exposure to this material will reduce cancers across the lungs and other body areas.
Taking Proper Renovation Steps
Ideally, pregnant women and children shouldn’t be in the home during a renovation that involves harmful fibers. This same idea applies to construction in the neighborhood. Fibers can travel far distances. Wear ventilation masks and clean up well after the project. It’s possible to be safe from these fibers if proper safety gear is in place.
If a family wants to renovate a home, asking a professional for an evaluation is a smart place to start. The experts determine if any asbestos-related materials are part of the construction. With this information, they’ll offer a quote on safe removal and renovation expenses so that it’s all bundled into one service. It’s possible to beautify the home with the help of experienced contractors who remove and secure the asbestos-related material with ease.
