Asbestos Ceiling Tiles

For much of the 20th century, most of the ceilings in homes and buildings were made of asbestos, a naturally occurring material that is toxic in nature. Typically, Asbestos ceiling tiles were suspended from the ceiling from a t-bar frame. This created a space between the tiles and the roof enabling reduction of noise in the room and providing room for HVAC equipment. Also called "drop" ceilings or "acoustic" ceilings, these were considered ideal for schools and offices.

Asbestos Exposure from Ceiling Tiles

The way the ceiling tiles were used led to exposure from asbestos in the form of fiber traveling through the air conditioning system and getting released into the air to be breathed in by the inhabitants of the room. Not until the 1970s when the government started issuing warnings and guidelines about the harmful effects of asbestos did people realize what was happening. By then many people had been infected, a fact that people were not aware of owing to the unusually long gestation period of the fatal disease. As a result, the construction industry was the most affected by asbestos disease other than the shipbuilding industry.

Among those most affected by the trend of using asbestos ceiling tiles were the installers that worked with these tiles, cutting, sawing, grinding, and sanding them and breathing in air laden with asbestos fiber. Since no one was aware of the ill effects of this procedure, workers were not provided protective gear leaving them open to contraction of asbestos-related diseases. The hazard they placed themselves in was discovered 20 to 50 years down the line when the first symptoms of asbestos-related diseases manifested and diagnosed.

Ceiling Tiles Containing Asbestos Fibers

The sad part is that infection from asbestos is preventable with the proper care. The harmful effects come into play only when fibers get airborne. Persons living with the material all their lives can remain unaffected so long as the material is not tampered with or broken to free the fibers.

Pictures of ceiling tiles with asbestos

Of the two pictures, the left one shows a clean ceiling that could be made of any material like fiberglass or cellulose not necessarily of asbestos; and the one on the right with the holes is easily identifiable as an asbestos ceiling tile behind which is the cavity housing the HVAC system.

Identifying asbestos in ceiling tiles

Many asbestos-containing building products are not easy to identify. The ceiling tiles with the typical pattern of holes are among those that are easy to spot. It is best to confirm if its an asbestos material by getting it tested by an expert lab using polarized light microscopy.

Removing asbestos from ceiling tiles

To remove asbestos ceiling tiles, use the following precautionary measures:

• dress properly
• do not run any heating and air circulation systems
• soak the asbestos ceiling tiles with detergent water
• remove the ceiling tiles without damage
• dispose off material and gear as per regulations.