What Does Asbestos Look Like?

Asbestos is the name given to a group of naturally mined fibrous silicates. Its is an extremely effective thermal and acoustic insulator, also well known for its high tensile strength and chemical and thermal stability. These qualities of asbestos make it an effective material for fire-proofing. Unfortunately, the very structure of asbestos that makes it highly effective also make it highly hazardous. It is therefore important to learn as much as you can about asbestos and to learn how to identify if you suspect you have it in your home. Asbestos cannot be identified by sight, but if you know where to look or what to look for, you can determine whether what you have is asbestos.

Instructions

• 1

  Look at the material used for fireproofing. if it looks fibrous, friable (able to crumble) and fluffy, almost like a muddy brown or white cotton wool, chances are you have asbestos. This asbestos was usually sprayed on.

• 2

  Check when your building walls were plastered. Asbestos that was used to soundproof was usually mixed into the plaster. The asbestos almost looks like sprayed-on cement or like a material that was troweled on and is also friable. This asbestos is found in buildings with walls that were plastered before 1981. If you have dry wall then chances are they do not contain this plaster.

• 3

  Check your thermal insulation. This kind of insulation is found on steampipes, water heaters, boilers and hot water lines that were installed before 1981. This asbestos coating resembles a cardboard or paper-like covering and is normally white in color.

• 4

  Take a closer look at your floor tiles. Some asbestos tiles can be identified by sight. These tiles were manufactured by combining asphalt and asbestos making black or dark-colored floor tiles. These were popular in the 1920s and contained up to 70% asbestos. Some floor tiles installed as late as the 1970s contained this asbestos asphalt combination.