Asbestos and You

Published October 2007 in The Contractor's Desk

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Asbestos and You

Do you have asbestos in your home?  Are you sure?  And if you do, what does that mean?  In my previous article, we looked at the occurrence of vermiculite insulation in homes.

 For those that missed the previous article, we learned that some, but not all, vermiculite insulation contains asbestos.  Secondly, we learned that not all vermiculite contains asbestos.  Finally, we learned that it doesn’t have to be removed if it does contain asbestos, unless it is at risk of becoming airborne or will be disturbed.

 Now that we’re all on the same page (literally), let’s take a look at some other types of asbestos that can be found in buildings.

 There are several types of asbestos that were mined for commercial use.  The most common type was chrysotile.  There were two big factors in the use of this variety.  First, it was local.  Chrysotile was mined across Canada, from the Yukon, all the way to Baie Verte in Newfoundland.  The primary mining area was found in Quebec, in towns such as Thetford Mines, and Asbestos.  Yes, Virginia, there is a town named Asbestos.

 The second reason it was used so readily was because it mixed so well with water and other products.  As a result, asbestos was used in thousands of materials, of which many made it into homes. 

 But why was it used?  Unlike other minerals, asbestos breaks into fibres when crushed.  When this fibre was mixed into building components, the materials were found to be more resistant to wear, fire, and also provided sound and temperature insulating properties.  Because of this, it was used in a wide variety of products, ranging from the initial structure to the finishing coats of the buildings.