Asbestos in Historical Building Conservation

Even though asbestos enjoyed a large amount of fame for the period of the ancient Greek and Roman times, it lost its status as a marvelous material until the Industrial Revolution. For the period of the Industrial Revolution, people realized the wonderful properties of asbestos that made it a great insulator for the engines and heating components in buildings and ships. In consequence, it's no surprise that asbestos is very outstanding in historical buildings.

If you are attractive in preserving a historical building, you may have got to cope with the presence of asbestos. As a silicate mineral, asbestos has unbelievable insulating properties. It resists heat, flame, electricity, chemicals, and biodegradation. In addition, asbestos on its own has high tensile force and flexibility. Accordingly, it is no surprise that it became a well-liked preservative to elements for the construction, shipping, and even automotive industries.

In the construction industry, asbestos was in essence a valued material from floor to roof prior to doctors and researchers realized the hazards of this material. Construction workers, plumbers, electricians, and other construction-related workers inserted asbestos to vinyl flooring, insulation, roofing tar, counter tops, fire doors, roofing tile, and a lot of other elements of building.



Unhappily, it was not until the late 1950s that doctors exposed the direct link between asbestos and mesothelioma, a lethal cancer that attacks a variety of linings of the body-lung, heart, abdomen, and even testes. In addition, research has also given relations for asbestos exposure and lung, esophageal, colorectal, throat, gastrointestinal, and even kidney cancers. Accordingly, by the time asbestos was banned in the 1980s, a lot of people had already been exposed to this carcinogen.

At the present, nearly all new buildings do not have asbestos. However, for those who are attracted in preserving historic structures, you also must consider the hazards posed by this material. Asbestos is not dangerous until it becomes airborne. Once it becomes airborne, individuals can inhale and ingest this material. Your body cannot break down asbestos; hence the fibers can become everlastingly lodged in your tissues.

Whether you were exposed to asbestos in a historic building or in a newer structure, you can expand the lethal cancer of mesothelioma. If you or somebody you know has mesothelioma after asbestos exposure, you must speak with an asbestos attorney concerning your alternatives.