Beware of Potential Asbestos Danger When Remodeling

One serious threat to your property value--and your health--is something you can’t even see, smell or touch.

Asbestos is a mineral fiber found in rocks that is very durable and can withstand temperatures up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit. For decades, asbestos has been widely used in textured ceilings, linoleum, insulation, pipes, heating vents and roofing materials, and so it can be found in most of the housing in the San Fernando Valley and Ventura County.

“Nobody can tell by looking if a material contains asbestos,” said Chris Gale, president of Gale/Jordan Associates Inc., a Los Angeles environmental management services company. “With any home built prior to 1980, the chances are great that it contains asbestos.”

Left undisturbed, asbestos is relatively harmless. But as housing materials age, asbestos fibers are released. A simple remodeling job can unleash all sorts of asbestos problems, creating the risk of lung and stomach cancer and possible property damage.

I’ve learned all this recently through personal experience.

My asbestos saga began a few weeks ago with sagging cottage-cheese ceilings in two of my bedrooms. Five plasterers each had a different idea of how to fix the problem, but my landlord and I finally opted for removing the old texture-coated ceilings and replacing them with new plaster. I didn’t give much thought to the issue of asbestos, but I did ask the plasterer if there was any reason to be concerned and he told me not to worry.

After the ceilings were torn out and the rest of my home was besieged by dust, I learned that I was surrounded by asbestos. I’d saved a small sample of the old ceiling and subsequently took it to be tested at Asbestos Analysis Laboratories in Studio City.

Surprise; it contained 5% chrysotile asbestos--50 times the amount regulated as a controlled substance by California.

Now I started to worry. I began to imagine all these asbestos fibers like needles poking through my lungs, creating scar tissue and eventual breathing problems. Then I imagined these asbestos fibers transmigrating through my cells and on to other organs.

What would this do to my health? Would I have to throw away all the furniture? And the carpeting; would it all need to be ripped out?

The asbestos experts weren’t very encouraging. “Any amount of asbestos you breathe in causes damage,” said Patrick Michaels, a registered environmental assessor at Asbestos Analysis Laboratories.

“Most contractors know about asbestos, but they’re afraid of losing work,” Michaels said, so never believe what you’re told unless it’s backed up by a test.

“There’s no way to look at it and tell if there’s asbestos without examining it in a lab under a microscope,” Michaels said. And it’s important to do the testing before , not after, the demolition work has been done.

Besides the health risks and property damage, Michaels also stressed how property owners can get into trouble with the South Coast Air Quality Management District for releasing asbestos into the air. It’s become pretty common for neighbors to report on other neighbors and request that the district inspect the property where asbestos may have been disturbed. Property owners can be fined for dumping asbestos into the trash or handling the material in any way that might adversely affect other people.

For the most part, however, Michaels said, “If the homeowner is cooperative, the authorities won’t cite that homeowner--they’ll go after the contractor.”

One contractor who botched up a job in Northridge involving asbestos was given a choice in court of 30 days in jail or on a Caltrans work crew.

“Asbestos affects homeowners directly,” warned Sam Vergara, supervising air quality inspector at the district’s air toxics branch in Diamond Bar. Demolition of any structure requires notifying the district, and notification is also required for removal of any surface of more than 100 square feet containing more than 0.01% asbestos.

“Ignorance is no excuse,” Vergara said.

Homeowners who are undertaking a remodeling job should first have any questionable materials in their home tested by a laboratory that is a member of the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program. If a remodeling is going to disturb asbestos, the homeowner needs to retain the services of a contractor licensed with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Asbestos removal can be expensive because it involves workers in protective outfits that look like spacesuits, and they set up equipment that traps the asbestos and filters the air while removal work is being done.

However, testing a small sample of a ceiling, linoleum or insulation at an accredited lab takes about a day and costs only about $25.

What should homeowners or renters do when they suspect that there has been asbestos released into the air?

One option is to test the air with an air pump that traps indoor air for several hours, or a day, in your home. A technician then uses a transmission electron microscope to look for asbestos. A TEM test costs $125 to $350, and several samples may be required.

However, the approach I opted for was going straight for asbestos remediation.

Michaels told me that just cleaning my walls, ceilings, doors, windows and other household surfaces with a slightly damp rag or sponge goes a long way toward catching some settled asbestos. Steam cleaning drapes, carpets and upholstery is also important.

Unfortunately, asbestos is so tiny--the fibers go down to 0.3 microns (1/25,000th of an inch), a strand of hair is about 25 microns--that regular vacuum cleaners won’t catch asbestos fibers.

Instead, it’s necessary to use a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter or system similar to those used by asbestos contractors. I’m considering buying a portable HEPA room filter for about $175. A few years ago, Consumer Reports reviewed HEPA filters, which also trap bacteria, pollen, dust and other small particles and are widely used in hospitals. They are found in medical supply stores, drugstores and some department stores.

These relatively simple remedies are not available to everybody. In really severe cases, specialized contractors may be needed to clean up the problem, and sometimes residents may need to move out permanently.

If you’re buying a home, it may be worth testing the air before closing the deal. Sellers in California are only required to disclose known asbestos hazards to buyers. Expect more litigation on this loophole. As for homeowners who believe that they’ve been wronged by a contractor, they may want to consider reporting the contractor to Cal-OSHA, the air quality district and other licensing bureaus.

Proving damage to your health is tough, but courts are awarding property damages for improper asbestos removal.

A free booklet about asbestos in the home is available by calling the district’s asbestos hot line at (714) 396-2336.