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Bellingham WA home inspections (King of the House): Asbestos

Home inspectors, and realtors, hear a lot about asbestos. We know what it is of course and know that it was used for years in flooring, siding, heat duct insulation and unfortunately, due to the vermiculite mines being so close to the asbestos mines, some of it ended up in the vermiculite too. Usually asbestos is something we suspect in older homes, but it is not often seen to any degree. Obviously with asbestos siding we can tell it is there, but it really is not a problem unless someone is ripping the siding off the house. Actually, it is pretty good siding if a bit brittle. However, the insulation below which was asbestos and had to be treated as such was not so subtle a find in an older house. Take a look, pretty nasty but at least not hidden. If you are a realtor, and see something like this, and it was visible in the basement, you can pretty much guess what it is. Hold your breath, this was coming apart.

Thanks for taking a look,

Steven L. Smith

www.kingofthehouse.com

Posted by Steven L. Smith, Bellingham, Wa. Home Inspector on 05/14/2007 11:30 PM

Comments (5)

asbestos, home inspection, king of the house, hazardous waste, bellingham

5 Comments on Bellingham WA home inspections (King of the House): Asbestos

You don't have to hold your breath, just get out and don't disturb anything on your way out. But, get out, you must!

05/14/2007 11:37 PM

by Roger Stensland (Brio Realty)

YIKES!!!...exactly why it's always a good idea to use the particulant mask when inspecting the crawlspace!

05/14/2007 11:41 PM

by Rich Jacobson ~ ActiveRain Community Builder (ActiveRain Corporation)

Yuck!! Stay away from that stuff!!

05/15/2007 12:12 AM

by Christy Avila (J and C Realty)

In our area, around St. Louis, mo, it is also found in a lot of roofing materials. Biggest thing is not to disturb it, especially if it is in a confined area, lke an attic. Re-roofs can drop a lot of debris into the attic, so be very careful if you suspect it.

05/15/2007 12:45 AM

by Robert Cramer (Five Star Property Inspections)

We almost have no old homes here. I did see one once with asbestos siding, but almost everything is new and built out of foam. It's interesting to see, like that o-l-d wiring system ( i think you showed in a blog a while back ) .

05/15/2007 07:18 AM

by Chris Elizabeth Griffith ~ Bonita Springs Fl Real Estate (Keller Williams Elite Realty, Bonita Springs, FL)

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