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Asbestos - Common Locations in the Home

Asbestos was widely used in the construction industry for both commercial and residential building. Nearly all homes constructed in or prior to the 1980s were built using one or more asbestos-containing construction materials. A home may have asbestos-containing materials if it was remodeled during this period as well.

Though alternatives to asbestos have been known for quite some time, asbestos has been used in insulation and other construction matter since the late 1800s. As a result, construction workers may come into contact with asbestos during maintenance, remodeling or demolition of an old home or building. Often a worker's family may be at risk from asbestos taken home on a worker's clothes or shoes.

Where is Asbestos Commonly Found in the Home?

Asbestos use was so widespread that virtually any material used in home construction may contain this substance. Asbestos is light, durable, an excellent insulator, and is virtually fireproof, making it the perfect addition to building materials. Unfortunately, the hazards associated with asbestos were not widely known until the 1970s, and the substance was used in construction for several decades.

Please see "Products Containing Asbestos" for a more extensive list of asbestos-containing products, and for more information about particular asbestos-containing construction materials.

Exterior

Some exterior asbestos products can still be legally used. For example, exterior cement siding and some roofing materials may still legally contain asbestos. However, while these materials are legal, they are not commonly used in construction.

• Base flashing, used as weatherproofing material around non-metallic exterior protrusions such as roof vents. The adhesive used to secure flashing in place often contained asbestos as well. In cases where base flashing itself does not contain asbestos, the roofing felt beneath it is likely to.
• Cement siding: shingles, clapboard, and other exterior cement board products (12 percent to 15 percent asbestos depending on the exact product)
• Roofing materials: including asphalt shingles (low levels of asbestos; at least 1 percent), roofing felt (at least 10 percent asbestos), patching cement
• Sand: if made from crushed rock, may contain mineral tremolite asbestos

Interior

The use of asbestos in interior construction and fixtures is of particular concern due to the possibility of airborne asbestos fibers contaminating the home's contained living spaces.

• Acoustic plaster and finishers: also known as "popcorn ceiling" due to its distinctive appearance. This material was typically sprayed onto surfaces needing acoustic insulation, and was often added as a decorative feature.
• Caulk, putty, adhesives and patching materials: most often used in areas subject to high temperatures. For example, around stoves, furnaces, boilers and fireplaces.
• Cement pipes, including sewer lines and water mains. These contain at least 20 percent asbestos.
• Fuse box linings
• Insulation products: a wide range of insulation products contained asbestos, including loose or batt insulation products, duct and seal coverings, pipe insulation, and insulation boards used on walls.
• Insulation used for electrical wires, in electrical outlet boxes for wall switches and plugs, recessed lighting, ceiling lighting fixtures, and freestanding lamp sockets.
• Millboard and rollboard: these flexible asbestos sheets (containing up to 85 percent asbestos) were commonly used as linings for electrical boxes and stoves.
• Pipe covering: most often around pipe 'elbows' or valves. Also used for packing in places where ducts, pipes and other construction penetrated walls and floors. These contain 35 percent to 90 percent asbestos.
• Plumbing putty: around plumbing pipes and other fixtures. Clay-based putties contain at least 20 percent asbestos.
• Vinyl floor, wall and ceiling tiles: contain between 20 percent and 35 percent asbestos.
• Tile 'felt': used as an underlay for vinyl tiles, or fused as an underlayer to the back of vinyl tiles.
• Vinyl wall coverings (non-tile) may contain up to 8 percent asbestos.

For more information on identifying asbestos-containing products in the home, please see "Asbestos - How to Identify it & What to Look For".

Appliances

Asbestos was used in the production of a wide variety of both small and large appliances. Almost any appliance that involved the use of heat or required some form of insulation was made with asbestos-containing materials, including:

• Washers and dryers
• Ovens, range hoods, barbecues, furnaces, boilers
• Broilers, toasters, popcorn poppers, electric blankets, hair dryers
• Space heaters, water heaters
• Freezers

What Should You Do About Asbestos in the Home?

For those who believe a home was built or remodeled using asbestos-containing materials, the first step is confirming that asbestos is present. Identifying asbestos-containing construction materials simply by sight alone is difficult. It is safest to assume that construction materials contain asbestos if the home was built prior to the mid-1980s, and to have samples of materials professionally tested to confirm the presence of asbestos.

The presence of asbestos-containing materials in the home does not always pose a health risk, and determining what to do about asbestos-containing materials will depend on the types of products that contain asbestos, and whether or not they are in good condition.

Please see "Asbestos Abatement/Removal" for more information about removing asbestos safely.

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