Asbestos Found in Base Flashing

Any home built during or before the 1980s is likely to have used asbestos in one form or the other because asbestos was the material of choice for the building industry for almost a 100 years before that period. Till its ban by the Environmental Protection Agency in the 1980s, asbestos found multifarious applications and continued to be used in a thousand building industry products. Asbestos was linked to fatal diseases and could cause serious illnesses such as asbestosis and mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer. Once the fact came into the public domain, the use of the material reduced but the presence of the material in earlier usage remains even today.

Asbestos Exposure from Base Flashing

One such product is Base Flashing. Flashing is a weatherproofing product that comprises of two parts, base flashing and cap flashing. Both these fit together and protect joints and joists from water penetration in homes. The cap flashing is made of sheet metal of some type, while the base flashing was often made of roofing felt. Roof felt was woven with asbestos to imbibe qualities like strength, heat-resistance, flexibility, fire-retardancy, insulation, and it also brought down the cost. In addition, the roofing adhesive or flashing adhesive that was used to secure it in place, as well as the roofing felt beneath it also contained asbestos. Some of these products can still be found in the market.

Base Flashing Containing Asbestos Fibers

If the roofing is left intact, it is of no consequence; but with age or tampering, the product starts to disintegrate and minute particles of fiber float in the air. Through inhalation, these get lodged in the soft tissue around the lungs, heart, or stomach. Remaining there for decades, the area festers and gets inflamed and eventually becomes malignant. The initial symptoms can often be misleading as they are not unique in any way. So it is necessary to recollect if you have worked at any point in time in an environment that could have been frought with asbestos. If yes, contact your doctor at once and get yourself tested. Mesothelioma does not give you time; it simply kills.

Whether you are devoid of symptoms or not, you will want to get rid of asbestos from your home. Some states mandate that you contract an asbestos removal professional for this. They are experienced in doing the job and will take the precautions outlined by EPA in the removal and disposal of the material.