Asbestos products have a lot of advantages. First of, they are very inexpensive and remarkably resistant to heat and fire. Secondly, they are known for their durability and sturdiness. Therefore, it is not really much of a surprise that the asbestos floor tile had a great reputation for such a long time up until the mid 80s. However, as we all know, there is also another and much darker side to asbestos products. Asbestos exposure can result in a variety of very serious illnesses and you have certainly heard of people who got diagnosed with mesothelioma or lung cancer because they got in contact with the material.
Let’s go back to the asbestos floor tile – as long as they remain intact and don’t show any damages, experts are convinced that there is no health concern impending.
But the picture changes drastically if the asbestos tiling starts to crack or if pieces begin to break off. This means that anybody in close proximity is being exposed to the toxic dust fibers that get airborne when asbestos floor tiles are damaged. There are two options. It is less costly to just install another layer of another, different non-asbestos flooring on top of the damaged tiling. However, a lot of homeowners feel more comfortable having the potential hazard entirely removed. Asbestos abatement companies can be hired to do that and they have the knowledge and gear to carry out the job safely and fast. It is not recommended that homeowners take care of this task in a do-it-yourself manner, as this poses a significant health risk. Further to that, it is very important that the old asbestos tile gets disposed in an environmentally friendly way for obvious reasons.
In a first step, homeowners are advised to hire an asbestos testing company to get clarity as to whether or not they are living under dangerous conditions.
