Trusted Plaster and Drywall Services in Watford

Asbestos is an umbrella term for a huge spectrum of naturally occurring materials. When it comes to its use in construction, it reached its peak popularity in the 1980s, just before first reports about its toxicity were exposed. After that it was quickly banned and is now no longer shipped anywhere (formerly, the main countries of asbestos mines were the USSR, Russia, Canada and South Africa). The most important quality of this material is that it is fibrous in nature. Splitting the strands of that chemical is particularly hazardous and can lead to serious health conditions. Because of its immense popularity several decades ago, now literally every building which was created in the second part of the 20th century can be at risk of having asbestos. That is why it is so tremendously important to have professionals run checks on your building and pass on their professional judgement on whether you and your loved ones would be at risk.

Asbestos can be broken into several groups which also determine its dangerousness: chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, anthophyllite and actinolite. Chrysotile is the most popular type of asbestos, sometimes referred to as white asbestos. Exposure to it has been linked with diseases such as mesothelioma. Amosite is, in turn, known as brown asbestos which was commonly used as fire retardant in insulation. It is widely considered to be the second most deadly kind of asbestos.

Asbestos, in some cases, is a very serious chemical that can lead to very grave health consequences. If it deteriorates and becomes airborne, inhaling it has been often linked with diseases of the respiratory system such as lung cancer. One of the most severe illnesses is asbestosis, an inflammatory condition that results in breathing difficulties and irreversible lung damage. The trickiest part about asbestos exposure is the fact that the ailments tend to occur even after 40 years since the initial exposure which causes people to realise about their state too late to act.

Asbestos, because of its resistance and sturdiness, was very popular between 1960s and 80s. However, some experts say that it is advisable to run appropriate checks on constructions which were erected even before 2000. All that because asbestos reached its peak popularity during that period and it would an exaggeration to claim that it has been dealth with completely after it was banned around 1985. It still resides in thousands of constructions all over the UK and can still be spotted in buildings that have not been renovated for a long time or deserted. It is still very often present as part of insulation, piping or roofing which makes spotting it even more of a challenge.

Asbestos is commonly perceived as a construction material of the past, one of the most dangerous chemicals that used to be the ultimate source of dangerous diseases. However, one would be seriously mistaken to think that this chemical was safely and completely got rid of all over the country. Actually, it is quite the contrary, it is still present in a plethora of places and may still pose a significant risk to the unaware inhabitants. It was used primarily because of its durability and qualities such as fire resistance and cost-effectiveness. Among the people who should be especially wary of asbestos-related risks are the building workers and the individuals working in maintenance.