Renovations of Older Homes Requires Special Care to Make Sure Asbestos Materials are Properly Removed

Virtually all homes, condominiums and apartment complexes built before the 1970s were constructed using materials that contained asbestos. If these buildings are renovated, all asbestos debris must be removed and disposed of according to state regulations.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related lung disease, please complete the form on this page for important information about your legal options and rights to file an asbestos lawsuit.

Each year, tens of thousands of homeowners visit their neighborhood hardware or home improvement store, watch countless hours of home repair programming on popular cable stations and spend millions on flooring, lighting, paint, ceiling materials and other home improvement products to renovate their homes.

However, when those home repairs or renovations involve older homes or residential properties, there is a significant risk that those repairs could involve disturbing materials that contain asbestos, a dangerous mineral that was once commonly used in hundreds of applications in the construction of homes.

Asbestos-containing materials (ACM) were commonly used in building materials utilized everywhere from the building foundation to the roof:

Flooring. In homes built with craw spaces or homes that were not constructed with original hardwood floors, asbestos-containing under-flooring was commonly used. Linoleum and many “peel and stick” floor tiles were also made using asbestos materials or had asbestos in the mastic glues used to attach the floor tiles.

Basements. Furnaces, hot water tanks, heating ductwork and hot water pipes were almost always covered with asbestos cement and other asbestos-containing insulation materials.  These same asbestos insulation materials were used to insulate walls and floors before installing drywall, paneling, tile or carpeting. 

Walls. While asbestos was sometimes added to the plaster applied to walls in schools, hospitals and commercial buildings, it was also sometimes used in the plaster used in the construction of older residential properties. The self-adhesive glues used in vinyl wallpapers also contained asbestos. In addition, asbestos was also added to stucco and other siding materials used on building exteriors.

Kitchens and Bathrooms: Asbestos insulation and ACM-containing cements and glues were commonly used in bathrooms and kitchens to insulate hot water pipes, to apply floor tiles, backsplashes and wall tiles, in formica counters, and in ceiling tiles.

Ceilings and Roofs. One of the most common red flag comments heard by prospective home buyers is when they see the ceilings covered by an acoustic “popcorn” ceiling. These ceiling materials were made using asbestos. Asbestos was also often added to texture paints used to mask cracks or other defects in the plaster on ceilings. Shingles, undersheeting and other materials used to insulate and provide watertight seals on building roofs were also manufactured using asbestos.

Asbestos Exposure Can Cause Serious Health Risks
Even though asbestos is no longer used in construction, extreme caution must be used when removing or disturbing materials that used the dangerous mineral.

The time between exposure to asbestos and when symptoms of disease develop can be 30-40 or more years long. During these decades-long asbestos latency periods, the asbestos fibers that are inhaled and trapped in the lungs can cause scarring that eventually leads to the development of serious health problems, including chronic breathing disorders such as asbestosis, emphysema, chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) and pleural plaques disease.  Asbestos can also cause mesothelioma cancer or asbestos lung cancer tumors to develop.

How Weitz & Luxenberg Can Help
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, our asbestos lawyers may be able to help you to seek justice for your illness and file a lawsuit on your behalf.

Please complete the form on this page for a free and confidential review of your potential asbestos lawsuit or request a free copy of our asbestos sourcebook. A Weitz & Luxenberg representative will contact you as soon as possible.

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see also:

Asbestos in Homes Asbestos commonly used in construction of homes | Weitz & Luxenberg
Info about asbestos materials used in homes. A free asbestos lawsuit review is available for families facing a loved one's asbestos disease diagnosis.

ACM Asbestos-containing materials (ACM): Free info from our lawyers
Health risks caused by exposure to asbestos-containing materials (ACM)