and welcome to my ask she'll copy break
today we're going to talk about that
past bestest one of those items that
from time to time it comes up in the
news sometimes making headlines because
of the circumstances but involving in
the building industry especially the
remodeling industry that's where I would
like to make reference to in this coffee
break because are a number of homeowners
that are do it yourselfers which more
power to you incidentally that's what
I've really been involved in for many
many years as well as in the home
improvement business as well but folks
asbestos has got to be understood by
more than just the fact that it is a
health hazard because understanding why
it was used and how it was used are
really the items in the industry that
you should be aware of because to this
day you're going to find it in a number
of items within your home especially if
your home was built to pre-1985 now when
I say pre-1985 that's when there was a
fairly loose rein on the use of the
product asbestos for purposes of a
binding agent meaning that when they
manufacture the product it would
actually weave or be interwoven into the
product whatever it may be flooring it
may be in a drywall filler it may be in
such items as said tapings for on
ducting or brush on seals for ducting
that's hot water hot air all those
different types of ducting that are
using movement of air through the duct
hot water being the type of it would be
a coil heater and hot air being whatever
fuel being used could be electric it
could be gas it could be propane could
even be wood but one or coal
or oil go into all of them but in any
event asbestos was used as a binding
agent items that we run into this day
are items like flooring vinyl flooring
for example drywall fillers and what I
did indicate pre-1985 I really sincerely
mean pre-1985 now there are lots of
vinyl floors around that are pre-1985
in fact I was in a home not that long
ago that the home was built in the 70s
it was the original floor and believe
you me folks vinyl flooring of the day
will last and last and last unless it's
in an area that's in front of a kitchen
sink for an example or possibly in front
of a stove that type of thing where
there's a lot of cooking taking place or
on that deck all that type of thing so
really be aware only that it is there
now I have grandmother's for me and
grandpa's as well for me from time to
time or come up to me in a show and say
Chelle we're really concerned about our
grandchildren crawling around on our
vinyl floor well folks that material
asbestos was used in what was called the
hide record back which is again used as
a binder used as a backing on vinyl
flooring that material asbestos is not
going to jump out of that floor at any
particular object and certainly not a
human being like a baby so that
particular area is one that you're not
really going to be required to be too
concerned about unless it comes time to
removing that floor for replacement now
I'm indicating vinyl flooring I'm
talking about a vinyl sheet flooring
very seldom you'd get into tiles but
there was a V a tile vinyl asbestos tile
and that again used as a binding agent
but when I did indicate the only time
you'd have to be concerned would be in
the removal
of anything that would have asbestos in
one the vinyl floor sheet covering vinyl
tile da tile vinyl asbestos tile drywall
fillers repairing or replacing drywall
in an older home pre-1985 you may have
asbestos sealed ducting on an old
furnace or an old boiler that type of
thing or an old boiler insulation that's
on top or you may even have some
vermiculite insulation and we have a
number of people send us samples for an
example a lot of cellular samples will
commence cellulose do not have asbestos
and vermiculite products of that mica
fill type of product it was a mined
product it's a mineral product out of
the ground and incidentally a lot of
people have asked me why did they ever
come up with a product like vermiculite
as an insulator well as the story goes I
was given this information back many
many many years ago back in the early
stages of getting into the building
supply business which we used to at the
building supply store sell products like
vermiculite zonal light mica fill all
basically the same items but by
different manufacturer brands and the
the answer that was given when I asked
that question many years ago was the the
the in Hamilton Ontario which is a steel
city steel manufacturing and they would
actually take ingots from the furnaces
and put them into special rail cars and
then they would bury the ingot in
vermiculite and then they would ship
that ingot to say the east coast and as
I've never didn't see it myself but I
certainly heard from a number of old
times that that product would end up at
the other end still white hot so it was
a great insulating material so with that
being a insulating material and a
binding material it was used in areas
from insulation
right through to the point of binding
agents like unhide record backing on
vinyl sheet flooring but vinyl sheet
flooring unless you're removing it you
don't really have to be concerned about
it having any ill effects because first
of all you'd have to sand it and breathe
the dust you'd have to scrape it or and
breathe the dust in a lot of
applications today vinyl sheet flooring
if it's glued down well and it's good
and solid structurally then you can
actually go over top of it with ceramic
tile and the and the likes so you're
actually burying it in the structure
same with vinyl tiles they can be yet
removed by means of scraping but you had
to be careful to have the proper but
gear as far as for your breathing of the
quality here that you want for your body
so when in doubt don't pout let's shall
help you load if you are concerned then
we do have environmental people right
across the country that will come out
and do tests like on drywall fillers of
floor coverings and coatings and sealers
and tapes etc so I just want you to be
aware that asbestos
if enclosed in an area not being
disturbed
is not going to be something that is
going to be effective and also you can
go to Health Canada website health
canada calm and you'll find that
information is there as well for you the
consumer but again don't be concerned
when you have the question you can
always call us we do have a toll-free
number that will come through and reach
me and incidentally that's one triple
eight two six six eighty eight oh six
and i'm not always available but when
you do call if you want to talk to me
then by all means make reference and the
employees here at the office will take
your name and phone number and the best
time to call okay it's just that easy
you