Building remediation: common hazards and safety issues in old properties.

• Author: Stricker, Julie
• Position: ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES

Even your dream home can house nightmares.

That 1940s bungalow with the charming period touches may have asbestos in the insulation around the boiler, in the attic insulation, around the electrical outlets, in the walls, in roofing tiles, or even the vinyl flooring. The soft ocean green trim in the smallest bedroom of your 1950s ranch home could contain lead. And even if you can't see it, black mold may be thriving in the laundry room wall or behind the avocado-green appliances in your groovy 1970s kitchen. Even the light bulbs could contain mercury, and the ground under the backyard swing set may be laced with PCBs.

Commercial buildings aren't immune either. In fact, nearly any structure built before the 1980s could contain lead and asbestos, which were widely used in paint and building materials before being banned or restricted in the 1970s and 1980s.

Before starting on a remodeling project to turn that groovy kitchen into something less likely to host the Brady Bunch, it's a good idea to hire a professional to assess the risk of dangerous materials. If working on a commercial building, Environmental Protection Agency and OSHA regulations require a survey before construction.

Bob French, principal in charge of EHS-Alaska, Inc., an Eagle River-based firm that specializes in identifying hazardous materials and remediation planning, says asbestos can be found in a wide variety of materials.

"It runs the whole gamut," he says. "Anything that wasn't metal, glass, or wood contained asbestos at one time or another. There are thousands and thousands of possible materials."

Do Not Disturb

Asbestos is a mineral that is resistant to heat and fire and does not conduct electricity. Because of these properties, it was widely used in construction, automotive, and other industries. It is also a known carcinogen. When disturbed, the microscopic mineral fibers can be inhaled and become lodged in the lungs where they may cause scarring, mesothelioma, or cancer.

French notes that asbestos is still legal and is still used in construction, although it's less common than it once was. The mineral's ability to resist high temperatures and fire makes it ideal for steam pipe gaskets, as well as automotive brake pads and clutches.

So while removing asbestos takes special precautions, sometimes it's better left in place. Figuring out the best approach is where EHS-Alaska comes in.

"We will do a building survey," French says. "That involves taking a lot of samples...