Most products made today do not contain asbestos. Those few products made which still contain asbestos that could be inhaled are required to be labeled as such. However, until the 1970s, many types of building products and insulation materials used in homes contained asbestos. Current products that do contain the material are better made to withstand wear and use.

However, frequent or prolonged exposure to asbestos fibres may still bring health risks. This can happen with the release of fibres into the air when asbestos-containing products break down, either through deterioration as they age or when they are cut. People can put themselves at risk — often without realizing it — if they do not take proper precautions when repairs or renovations disturb asbestoscontaining materials.

Health Canada states that the asbestos content of a product does not indicate its health risk. Asbestos poses health risks only when fibres are in the air that people breathe. Asbestos fibres lodge in the lungs, causing scarring that can ultimately lead to severely impaired lung function (asbestosis) and cancers of the lungs or lung cavity.

Common Home Building Products That May Contain Asbestos

• Steam pipe, boilers & furnace ducts insulated with an asbestos blanket or asbestos paper tape.
• Asbestos cement roofing , shingles & siding.
• Artificial embers sold for use in gas-fired fireplaces.
• Clapboard
• Shingles and felt for roofing
• Exterior siding; pipe and boiler covering
• Compounds and cement, such as caulk, putty, roof patching, furnace cement and driveway coating
• Wallboard; textured and latex paints; acoustical ceiling tiles and plaster
• Vinyl floor tiles; appliance wiring; hair dryers
• Irons and ironing board pads; flame-resistant aprons and electric blankets; and clay pottery
• Loose-fill vermiculite insulation may contain traces of “amphibole” asbestos.

How to minimize the asbestos risks in the home?

If you do not know if products in your home contain asbestos, have an experienced contractor inspect them. If there is asbestos, the best interim measure (unless the product is peeling or deteriorating) is to seal the surface temporarily so that fibres will not be released into indoor air. If the product is already protected or isolated, simply leave it alone.

It is a complex and expensive matter to remove asbestos, and should be done by an experienced contractor. When disturbing an asbestos product, maximum precautions must be taken to safeguard the workers and anybody else who may be nearby. Asbestos dust must remain within the work area so that it cannot be breathed in by unprotected persons.