Since the 1950, asbestos was a commonly used building material. This natural element consists of a fibrous structure and most forms of asbestos are friable, which means it can be easily broken up into smaller pieces under very limited pressure. Asbestos has outstanding product properties. Due to its resistance to heat and fire, it found widespread use as an insulator. Further to that, asbestos is practically indestructible.

Asbestos dust is not easy to identify. It is not visible to the eye and usually special asbestos testing needs to be conducted to confirm its presence. Chances are that if you live in a house that was built prior to 1980, the structure might hold elements that may contain asbestos to some extent. With that being said, that does not automatically mean that you are at a health risk. Only when an asbestos product starts to wear off or if it gets damaged, the toxic fibers will get airborne and can then cause a problem. A rather high number of public buildings still contain asbestos. Sometimes the entire construction needs to be taken down and rebuild, but usually an asbestos abatement company is being hired to clear the building of the sections that have been identified to be problematic.

The main reason why the material was so liberally used lies in its accessibility and the aforementioned product characteristics.
In addition to its thermal resistance, asbestos is sturdy but flexible. This made it an ideal binder and bi-product for cement.


Asbestos Cement Pipes


Here is a list of areas and applications were asbestos was used frequently:

Building exteriors

  • Asbestos cement roof and siding sheets
  • Stucco
  • Brick and block mortar
  • Building overhangs 

Building products

  • Textiles
  • Sprayed insulation
  • Insulation block
  • Insulating cements

Flooring

  • Vinyl asbestos tile
  • Sheet vinyl flooring
  • Floor leveling compound

Walls

  • Thermal spray
  • Stippled finishes
  • Plaster or drywall jointing materials

Pipes

  • Domestic water supply and drain lines
  • Steam and hot water heating supply and return lines
  • Rain water and sanitary lines
  • Gaskets in flanged pipe joints

Ceilings

  • Plaster or drywall jointing materials
  • Acoustic and stippled finishes
  • Asbestos cement ceiling tiles
  • T-bar ceiling tiles

Service Areas

  • Fan rooms
  • Crawl spaces
  • Insulation in boiler rooms
  • Machine rooms
  • Emergency generators
  • Fire stop flaps  and Fire dampers
  • Wire insulation
  • Welding screens and blankets
  • Fire stopping
  • Incinerators - internal insulation
  • Heating cabinet panels
  • Elevator brake shoes
  • Incandescent light fixture back up
  • Duct tape