What Does Asbestos Look like

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By rkat

What Is Asbestos

To help explain - what does asbestos look like - I've provided videos and pictures to help identify asbestos, and explain what is asbestos.

What Is Asbestos

i would define asbestos as a group of naturally ocurring fibrous minerals with microscopic, long, and thin fibers. Asbestos fibers are heat and chemical resistant, making them useful for home construction purposes. Because of their durability, asbestos fibers can be inhaled into the body, and will remain for long periods of time and cause a rare form of cancer called mesothelioma.

Asbestos deposits can be found throughout the world and are mined from metamorphic rock in Australia, Canada, South Africa, and the former Soviet Union. The different types of Asbestos minerals are amosite, chrysotile, crocidolite, and the fibrous varieties of tremolite, actinolite, and anthophyllite .

What does asbestos look like

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Asbestos Crocidolite
Asbestos Crocidolite

What Does Asbestos Look Like

Asbestos in its raw form appears like small minerals, or rock fragments. The milling process takes the asbestos raw rock formation and mixes it with other compounds to form building supplies such as insulation, floor tiles, siding, ceiling tiles, roof tiles, etc. Asbestos is hard to identify by just looking at it, for example it would be difficult to look at two different types of floor tiles and know for sure if one is an asbestos floor tile or not. You would need to contact a asbestos testing company to help identify if your home contains asbestos products.

Check out the videos below to see what asbestos looks like in its many different forms.

Hopefully viewing the videos will help answer the common question - what does asbestos look like.

What Does Asbestos Look Like

The Different Types of Asbestos

Asbestos three common types are:

  • Amosite: Brown or gray, straight amosite fibers made of iron and magnesium.
  • Crocidolite: A member of the amphibole group, crocidolite is blue, straight fibers. It is made of sodium iron magnesium silicate.
  • Chrysotile: A white curly fiber, most products are made of this type of asbestos. It is a magnesium silicate.

The other asbestos types are anthophyllite, tremolite, and actinolite.

Comments

Curious In Chicago 3 years ago

I live in an old apartment. I may have asbestos in my attic. It is white, fibrous, curly, and is growing fiercly. Should I be alarmed? My landlord is an attorney, do I think I have a case? HOw do I confirm that the growth is in fact the feared asbestos??

Please help... this is an emergency!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sean 3 years ago

you should able to order a kit from the internet or goto a hard ware place like home depot, or lows ahd i think that thay carry kits to test for it.

Help??? 3 years ago

I live in a brick home built in 1973 or 1974,at the long ends of the home up in the eaves are long concrete boards,these cement boards are not the old 12x12 inch straight or wavy asbestos boards used thru the 40s 50s and 60s-I know what they look like.These boards are long with no vertical lines through them like the12x12 wall shingles i mentioned,apparently they came in long lengths and the contractor cut them to desired lengths,they are rock hard,and you cant even drive a nail thru them with a hammer. Some of the ends are broken-split open with a dark dark brown fiber looking material exposed.I am assuming this is an asbestos cement board made with a portland cement mixture,they are about 12 to 15 inches wide,I was wondering what exactly is the specific name of them,-what companys made them and when, and is chrysotile the whitish asbestos used in their processing since most of the asbestos-cement boards were from what i have read, or since they are a very dark brown inside, is amosite-the brown asbestos used in there production?-I cant find any pictures of these boards on any asbestos links but here in the south you can see a lot of older homes with them, mainly used in the upper eave area of the homes that were built in the 60s and 1970s.If anybody knows please let me know as I would greatly appreciate it,and thank you.

ROGUE 2 years ago

OUR HOME WAS BUILT IN 1968. IT WAS A PREFAB HOME WITH ALL THE ELECTRICAL, PLUMBING AND INSULATION INCLLUDED.

tHE COMPANY WAS CAPP HOMES FROM MINNESOTA. HOW WOULD I FIND OUT ABOUT ASBESTOS?

Billy young 2 years ago

Hello I to ask what to look for with asbestos were I am working in we as a team we have done a lot here were we are working plz call me to talk. About it or email me back

king 2 years ago

dose asbesto give you bumps

answer2king 2 years ago

no not asbestos. fiberglass gives you those little bastard itchy bumps.

Reginald McGhee 2 years ago

The building I'm living in has old heating pipes. The insulation around the pipes is at least 50-60 years old. Could this be asbestos?

jim 20 months ago

I am gutting our 1954 bathroom and behind the plaster is what looks like wall board (drywall) this is the original bathroom. does aspestos come in wall board

anegeener 15 months ago

We just bought a house that must be 100 years old. The front porch has floor tile that is cracked and chipped. How do I find out if its asbestos and what would you recommend covering it with if it is?

Jenna D. 14 months ago

I live in a house that was buildt in the 1950s. I have had continuous problems with blck dust everywhere, despite replacing my air con ducts and changeing the them and the air conditioner. the air conditioner has also been sanitized. recently we started renovating the house and a friend of my saw some black fuzzy insulation (paper lined) sticking out of the open wall and said he though it looked like asbestos. what do you suggest.

Asbestos 12 months ago

Asbestos is really dangerous stuff

West Virginia Asbestos Removal 11 months ago

Exposure to asbestos can be a serious health risk. However, removing asbestos from a home or building is not always the best solution. If, for example, the asbestos is undisturbed and intact, removing the asbestos can in fact be a greater risk than leaving it in place. However, if a renovation or demolition will disturb asbestos containing materials then that material must be removed with proper disposal. Disturbing asbestos can disperse particles into the air, where they can then enter the lungs and cause long-term health problems.

mari 7 months ago

I lived in a rented old house I think it was built in 1940. For 12 years. I've been having problems with hair loss and my daugther suffers from terrible allergies and also hair loss do u think I have asbestos the walls are made of wood. And there's like cement in between. Please help!

Ashleigh F 4 months ago

We have a 100 yr old house we are currently removing the original trim to remove the paint and have found black powder/dust matterial in behind the trim and plaster walls could this be asbestos?

kem 2 months ago

asbestos is very dangerous and it can cause lung cancer and any type of cancer.

Lisa 7 weeks ago

I have black mold my bathroom tub. Do u think it's something that sould be reported? Could it be asbestos? I worried if it is, can you have a law suite if it is?

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