Portland Real Estate Danger: Asbestos
It’s not a mold or a metal; a fungus or a gas. It’s not a chemical from a lab or something beamed in from space – in fact, this household hazard has been in use for 4,000 years! Asbestos is actually a mineral that forms long fibers with a wide array of uses. Unfortunately, its dangers were not recognized until the early 1900’s, and the Environmental Protection Agency still hasn’t completely banned it. That’s right, we’re one of the few developed countries where cancer-causing asbestos can still be found in everything from brake pads to oven mitts!
In home construction prior to 1990, asbestos was a common material for floor tiles, siding, insulation and ceilings because of its ability to block sound and resist fire. While most asbestos in your pre-1990 home is probably safely locked away in tiles or siding, popcorn ceilings are where asbestos exposure becomes a real issue. When chunks of the ceiling fall, asbestos fibers enter the air, and breathing them in can cause severe lung irritation and lung cancer. Also crawling children can pick it up and eat it.
As a Portland real estate agent, I know what it’s like to have a potential buyer walk into a home, see a particular feature, and immediately want to leave. Popcorn ceilings are one of those features. Not only do they look dated and often dirty (they’re one of those impossible-to-clean surfaces), buyers are often aware that they may contain asbestos.
If your Portland home has popcorn ceilings and you’re looking to sell, at the very least get the material tested for asbestos. That way you can inform buyers if the ceiling is just dated, or dangerously dated. You can take a sample yourself – using caution to contain the disturbed material – and send it to a laboratory for quick results.
No popcorn ceilings? You’re not in the clear yet. Luckily, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has a great page on their website with information, including details on where asbestos might be lurking in your home or in the Portland home you’re considering buying. Portland seems to have more of a problem with asbestos siding than other municipalities, but it’s safe to say that if you see any material on the home that looks like it might be degrading or coming apart, and the home was built before 1990, you might have an asbestos problem.
A licensed contractor can take care of that problem. Removing a popcorn ceiling yourself is relatively simple but labor-intensive and messy (not recommended, can be dangerous to your health). Asbestos in other areas (like siding) will require more work, and may not be worth the while of a potential home seller. Instead, the cost of replacing the asbestos-containing building material will probably be simply be reflected in the home’s asking price.
It may seem like home hazards are everywhere in older homes, but being an informed buyer (or seller) beats the alternative of exposing yourself or others to health risks. A knowledgeable real estate agent can help you navigate the waters of Portland home sales, and it’s never too early to start asking questions. By phone or email, let me put my experience to work for you!
