Is Asbestos Abatement Required?

Depending on a number of circumstances, asbestos abatement may or may not be required in a structure. Asbestos is still found in a vast amount of homes and buildings, although it may be in no danger of becoming airborne and thus hazardous. Federal law has prohibited asbestos from being used in building materials because of its ability to cause certain types of lung cancers as well as asbestosis. It still has industrial uses today, in shipyards among other places. It is also a component of friction-producing car parts such as brake and clutch pads and brake drum lining. Public and commercial buildings must locate, evaluate and take steps to abate asbestos products. Buildings to be demolished do require asbestos removal prior to the event. In private homes the laws do not apply, but in some cases abatement is highly recommended. 

Asbestos Abatement

Asbestos abatement is not necessarily the removal of asbestos, but it does mean the reduction and/or containment of it. Thus, a building owner is in compliance with asbestos abatement requirements by effectively containing the asbestos materials. In some cases, it does not have to be removed. Furthermore, removal can sometimes be more hazardous than abatement. The primary types of abatement are repair, encapsulation and enclosure. 

Asbestos Containing Materials (ACM)

Homes and buildings built at any time between the 1920s and the mid 1980s likely contain a lot of asbestos containing materials. Among others, some of the main places you will find asbestos include asphalt shingles and roof felt, batt insulation, vinyl tiles, lining for air ducts and pipe, acoustical tiles, textured paint and as a component of water heaters, dishwashers and clothes driers. Asbestos enjoyed extremely widespread use because of its low cost and fire resistant ability. When these materials are found in public and commercial buildings, federal law requires abatement of one type or another. In homes, abatement is a good idea if the asbestos presents a hazard.

Friable Asbestos

The type of asbestos that presents a health risk is called friable asbestos. In other words, it has the ability to become minute, airborne particles easily inhaled. Non-friable asbestos solidly contained in tiles, shingles or other places is usually no cause for concern. On the other hand, if those same materials were cut or otherwise damaged, it could release the hazardous particles. Popcorn-like wall texture, insulation and spray-on acoustical coverings present some of the biggest risks for the release of asbestos fibers. If these are present, abatement should be undertaken. 

Repair, Encapsulation and Enclosure

Repair can be as simple as wrapping the damaged ACM with duct tape, although that is not adequate in all situations. Encapsulation seals the ACM to guard against any release of hazardous fibers, while enclosure is the process of building airtight, permanent barriers around the ACM. In many situations, one of these methods is a better choice than removal which could effectively fill the atmosphere in a building with asbestos fibers.  

If you detect asbestos containing materials in your home or building and are unsure what to do, consult the EPA’s own website on the matter at http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/index.html. Federal law does not pertain to private homes and small apartment buildings. There are different rules regarding public and commercial buildings, though. Asbestos abatement is required for these structures. Demolition of a building requires the removal of asbestos, although in many other situations proper encapsulation and/or enclosure is suitable.