How Common Is Asbestos In Drywall and Drywall Joint Compound Building Material?
Demand has grown substantially in the building and housing markets over the last few years. With tons of buyers looking for a home, this has led to a massive influx of business for real estate agents. Yet, all of this construction isn’t new, and asbestos in drywall and drywall joint compound continues to be uncovered.
As investors continue to look to maximize profits on their real estate investments, the remodeling of older properties remains common due to the large profit potential these homes offer when their value is increased.
But before getting started on a renovation project, whether you’re a contractor, agent, or homeowner, make sure the home’s materials are safe. This guide will cover the history of asbestos usage, the continued presence of asbestos in drywall joint compound, and other materials APM recommends looking out for in your home.
Asbestos History
U.S. homebuilders started using asbestos in the late 19th century and early 20th century due to its low cost, light weight, abundant supply, and fire-resistant properties. Insulation, roofing and siding, vinyl flooring, ceiling materials, drywall, and patching compounds are just a few of the materials that can all contain asbestos just to give you an idea of how much it was used.
If inhaled, it can cause numerous fatal health conditions, including lung disease, cancer, and more. While some people argue that the static material itself is safe, something that dangerous should never be allowed to remain in any home or building!
This is largely due to the fact that it is very easy for asbestos to be released into the air. When the killer fibers are produced from being disturbed, such as during demolition, this poses a threat when inhaled. If asbestos drywall joint compound was used, the microscopic fibers can easily still be in the home even if built years ago.
At APM, we believe that you should never be scared to breathe the air in any building or home you own. Due to the dangers of asbestos, homebuyers and real estate agents should always get professional asbestos testing services before embarking on a renovation or real estate process.
Asbestos in Drywall and Drywall Joint Compound
Due to the late regulation, many older homes contain dangerous materials – especially in their asbestos sheetrock, asbestos drywall, and asbestos joint compound.
The Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act (WISHA) issued a regional directive that states that asbestos can be found in joint compound and wallboard systems. While joint compound typically only contains a very small amount of asbestos, this is still a risk to your physical body and the intrinsic value of your home.
WISHA states that joint compound will stay intact in your home for years. Some people think this isn’t an issue but, for people buying a home, asbestos isn’t typically what you want to spend your money on.
Drywall Abestos: How to Identify It
So how common is asbestos in drywall and drywall joint compound? Extremely.
For those unfamiliar, drywall is thin sheets of material used to construct interior walls. Drywall joint compound, otherwise known more plainly as drywall mud, is the material used to smooth over joints, corners, cracks, and holes in the drywall sheets during the finishing process.
Builders learned of the dangers of asbestos in the 1970s, after workers in a variety of construction trades and homeowners were exposed to it from the handling, mixing, sanding, and sweeping of asbestos drywall joint compound.
As noted above, any grinding or sanding will cause the asbestos particles in drywall joint compound to release. This means that any renovations will result in an unsafe environment that is very difficult to return to normal due to how tiny the air particles of asbestos are. This decreases the value of your home as well and makes it unsafe for you to flip it – no matter how brief your renovation disturbances will be.
This is why the best option is to always remove asbestos drywall or asbestos-containing joint compound. APM happily provides inspection, testing, and removal services for asbestos drywall and when asbestos is in joint compound.
Where Can Asbestos Be Found?
Your asbestos drywall and asbestos joint compound shouldn’t be the only thing you watch out for. Because of the commonality of asbestos, there are several materials, buildings, and areas you need to have inspected.
While different types of buildings may have different levels of inspections, scale, and regulations, they all share the same building materials. This is why other places you might find asbestos in are:
- Residential Properties
- Commercial Sites
- Municipal Buildings
- Industrial Structures
That’s right, both commercial and residential buildings may contain asbestos. It was used for decades in walls, flooring, roofing, and ceiling products for all kinds of buildings. Wall and pipe insulation, textured paint, vinyl tiles, vinyl adhesives, furnaces, and gaskets all may contain asbestos if they were constructed before the 1970s.
What Materials Contain Asbestos?
Up, down, left, and right, asbestos-containing materials can be found in a number of spots since asbestos is used in a wide variety of materials. Other materials or areas in homes and buildings that may contain asbestos include:
- Floor tiles
- Ceiling tiles
- Popcorn ceilings
- Insulation
- Drywall
- Roofing
- Siding
- Sheet Rock
Cutting corners is never the way to go when someone’s health could be on the line. The best business practice is to always ensure that your properties and potential clients are safe by removing any and all asbestos building materials.
Make sure you stay in the know so you can spot potentially hazardous materials. Our blog contains a number of guides to keep you informed and up-to-date, including a complete guide on the top 10 places to find asbestos!
Can Asbestos Impact Your Home’s Resale Value?
It can be easy to focus on the money and think, “Well, I won’t be living here so I don’t need to worry about removing any asbestos issues.” But avoiding real estate asbestos issues will only cost you more money in the end.
Whether flipping or selling, if not dealt with, asbestos has the potential to negatively impact your pocket in a big way. Just like other home renovations such as painting, updating appliances, or installing new flooring, asbestos inspection and removal is an investment into your home that can raise its overall value.
This is why APM readily offers their real estate asbestos services. Before a sale takes place, the house needs to be inspected. That inspection is taken into consideration for an appraisal that states the overall value of the home, which can minimize or maximize your profit.
In addition, any potential homeowner can ask for an asbestos inspection. If they see asbestos has been encapsulated and not properly removed, not only does this create a negative stereotype of the property, but they can also use this as a reason to lower the asking price. That’s why it’s important to know how to handle asbestos in real estate.
Stay proactive and ensure your potential buyers you’ve taken every precaution! By showing that you have had any real estate professionally inspected by certified asbestos inspectors like APM helps get top dollar for that property. To learn more, read our recent blog that covers the top 5 reasons real estate agents need asbestos testing services.
Asbestos Project Management Can Help With Your Residential Asbestos Issues
Never risk asbestos exposure by sidestepping proper safety procedures. Get help from asbestos experts who can safely test your home materials for asbestos.
Whether you’re buying a home or commercial property, planning a demolition, taking on a remodeling project, or conducting industrial maintenance, contact Asbestos Project Management for asbestos inspection services and find out for sure what risks may be involved in your project.
Construction on any level is stressful and full of hard work. Make your effort worth it and get the home value you deserve. Talk to your real estate agent today about how APM can perform your asbestos home inspection.
Don’t let asbestos drywall, asbestos joint compound, or any other asbestos building material get in your way! Get in touch with Asbestos Project Management today for a free estimate.
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