Asbestos Ceiling Tiles

Asbestos was extensively used for making tiles earlier due to its diverse and useful properties. Asbestos is heat, fire as well as chemical resistant and also very durable. And hence, the tiles containing asbestos are also durable, strong, and resistant to abrasion, heat as well as acids and alkali. Despite all the advantages, asbestos is no longer used today as it was found that the asbestos contains cancer causing elements. Asbestos is even banned in some places to prevent health risks. Let us know about asbestos ceiling tiles in detail.

Asbestos Ceiling Tiles

You must have heard that living in a home with asbestos ceiling tiles does not mean that you always run a high risk of exposure to the harmful material. The asbestos fibers are embedded in the ceiling tiles and hence, there is no continual risk. You should also know that asbestos in ceiling tile is not as harmful as in other material. The danger lies only if the tiles are broken or are in damaged condition.

Dangers of Asbestos in Ceiling Tiles

Although asbestos fibers are firmly embedded in the tiles, after a few years they become brittle. When the tiles are removed during renovation, the asbestos particles enter the air and pollute it. When this air is inhaled by people, they face health problems. Asbestos exposure can cause mesothelioma, i.e, a type of cancer. Sometimes, the tiny particles can also mix with air while drilling a hole in the ceiling for lighting fixture.

How to Tell If You Have Asbestos Ceiling Tiles

Initially, you need to find out whether your home has asbestos tiles. There are also facilities to ensure whether the material used is asbestos or not. There are certain signs that you need to look out for, to check if the home contains asbestos tiles. For e.g, if the house was built 30-50 years ago, it has greater chances of containing asbestos tiles. Sometimes, asbestos ceiling tiles are cracked and you can see powdery substance flowing out from it.

Precautions to Be Taken

One of the ways to prevent health risks is, to cover the asbestos tiles with non-asbestos containing tiles. You can put a layer of dry wall over the asbestos ceiling tiles to prevent pollution of air due to asbestos. But, if you find that the ceiling tiles are cracked, there is no alternative other than replacing them. You can even remove and replace asbestos tiles yourself. But, one has to be extremely careful while removing asbestos tiles. You can go through the article on asbestos tiles removal tips for more information on the same.

In the worse case, if you find the asbestos ceiling tiles in a severely damaged condition, you must immediately call a professional and have them replaced. In certain areas, there are laws that make it obligatory for people to hire professionals while dealing with asbestos tiles. In such cases, you will have to depend on professional help.

If you find out that your home contains asbestos ceiling tiles, it is advisable to remove them as soon as possible. Although, there may not be an immediate danger, there can be a health risk sooner or later. It is better you do away with the asbestos ceiling tiles.