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My floor in my old house I'm worried is asbestos and was dusty from some remodeling. There was a part that was chipped on the floor. We moved and I'm wondering a few things:

  1. How can I find out if the house had asbestos?

  2. The 3 months we lived there are we all Gonna die if it was asbestos?

  3. I was pregnant when I lived there would that exposure if it is asbestos effect my unborn child?

  4. Will washing the clothes from that house and cleaning everything from the old house get rid of anything that could be on the clothes and stuff?

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  • Although asbestos can cause problems many people worked in the factories for years and did not have problems. I am not aware of any health issues to unborn children. With that said it is unwise to disturb asbestos without proper protection. With proper wipe down and washing clothing is fine to be reused.
    – Ed Beal
    Commented Jul 23, 2017 at 17:40

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  1. You would need an expert to examine and render an opinion.

  2. Asbestos exposure over a short period is very unlikely to cause a health issue and if it does it would be 20+ years out. Problems arise when you breathe the fibers over a long period of months or years.

  3. No. Asbestos is inhaled if it is friable (able to be airborne) so the unborn child is safe.

  4. Yes, washing and cleaning is always a good idea. Old style tile is actually pretty safe unless you start grinding on it and make a lot of dust.

I would not be overly worried but you could consult with a doctor and have an exam every few years if you are concerned.

You can read more here.

Rest easy.

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  • Friable - there's a word. But it is really the crux of the matter. From what I have seen, most people "encapsulate" asbestos rather than try to remove it. But it would be best to get a professional opinion.
    – SDsolar
    Commented Jul 24, 2017 at 5:54
  • Is it really true that only when you breath it over long term like weeks or months it can have some health risks? I t seems to me kind of extreme to see when you say that if you can get little exposure you might have problems long time or if you breath it for months or years.
    – VaTo
    Commented Aug 19, 2019 at 5:24
  • You won't discover any effects for decades. By which time it will be far too late.
    – Jeremy Boden
    Commented Oct 6, 2021 at 15:44
  • If you live in an urban area and walk across a busy street, you could be breathing asbestos fibers (see the nih website). It is in the water supply and you drink it and bathe in it. Basically everyone has some asbestos in their lungs because it is naturally occurring and is pervasive in various building and other manufactured products. It's only a problem if it is a certain harmful type (which is rare) and a certain size (most tiny fibers are non harmful, they are ignored in air tests). Don't stress about it too much... just install an air filter in your home if you are highly concerned.
    – WildWillow02
    Commented Oct 18, 2022 at 9:26

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