Heads Up: Old Vinyl Flooring May Contain Asbestos

In the 1850s, fashion designers and manufacturers slowly woke up to a miraculous mineral that had been around for millennia. The mineral was an excellent insulator, and it was naturally fire-resistant. Add to that the mineral’s flexibility of use, and it was no wonder people were immediately drawn to it. Over the next hundred years, this mineral was woven into yarn, it was turned into bricks and concrete and it was used to insulate homes and make flooring more durable. Indeed, it was a fantastic substance.

It’s just too bad that this mineral, which we know as asbestos, also proved to be incredibly toxic. In 1924, a doctor in the United Kingdom was inspecting the corpse of a young woman who had worked in an asbestos textile factory. When examining the woman’s lungs, the doctor noticed what appeared to be a healed tuberculosis infection, as well as extensive scarring. Within this scarring, the doctor spotted jagged bits of mineral particulate. Breathing the asbestos had killed the young woman.

Unfortunately, the damage was largely done. In 2011, a report indicated that more than 50 percent of homes in the United States contained some form of asbestos. Where most people might go searching for asbestos in the walls, this nefarious substance can be found in several places. In fact, asbestos in flooring in Aspen, CO is more common than you might realize.

Cheap and easy

There’s a lot to love about modern vinyl flooring. It’s inexpensive, and it’s easy to tear out and replace. Unfortunately, before the dangers of asbestos were fully known, it was a common ingredient in the creation of vinyl. Asbestos was used to make the vinyl both flame retardant and damage resistant.

Because of how inexpensive vinyl is plus its undeniable ability to be customized, vinyl flooring was, and still is, an extremely popular flooring option. Of course, that means you’re likely to run into asbestos if your floors have been in place for several years.

Do not disturb

Having asbestos in your home is a kind of good-news, bad-news situation. Vinyl flooring containing asbestos in Aspen, CO doesn’t pose an active threat to the health of your family—that is, until it’s disturbed. If vinyl flooring with asbestos is torn up or damaged, it can stir up airborne asbestos. That’s when the trouble starts.

Don’t take chances with your health

Before you set about remodeling your home, make sure that you’re taking the proper precautions. That begins with a call to HealthSafe Inspections Inc. For more than a decade, we have served as the most trustworthy inspection service in the area.

As the area’s most accomplished indoor environmental consulting firm, HealthSafe Inspections Inc. can provide on-site inspections, sampling and reports, as well as post-remediation inspections. Whether you’re dealing with asbestos in flooring in Aspen, CO or you’re concerned about mold remediation, we can help. We’re proud to offer testing and consulting on asbestos, mold, radon, biohazards and more. All you have to do is pick up the phone and give us a call. When you want it to get gone and stay gone, call HealthSafe Inspections Inc. We’re here for you.

Categorised in: Asbestos Testing

This post was written by Writer