I can see asbestos in the drywall!! No you can’t :)
You Can’t Tell By Looking…
… Whether Something Contains Asbestos
There are some things you can tell just by looking.
For instance, you can tell right away, just by looking at your Significant Other’s face when you come home late again from Bingo, or wherever you keep coming home late from, how much trouble you’re in.
(Hint: If you won, and you hand over even some of the prize money, chances are, not that much.)
But in many cases, you can’t tell – just by looking…
- … What kind of fool you are (for coming home late again from Bingo)
- … Why fools rush in (possibly to Bingo), where wise men and women fear to tread
- … Who… WHO… Who wrote the Book of Love (and whether they were Bingo fans)
- … When will I be loved (other than when I drag home big Bingo winnings)
- … Where the boys are (though you might check the Bingo hall)
- … How deep is your love (for Bingo)
Yes, it’s true. The what, why, who, when, where, and how of it all is that many song-related things can NOT be determined just by looking.
Guess what! Another thing you absolutely, positively, 100% can NOT tell just by looking is whether something contains potentially-dangerous (and always ugly) asbestos.
It’s Ugly, And It’s Lurking All Around You…
… As far as you know. And you don’t know… not unless you have your property tested for asbestos.
“Why should I care about this?” you may ask, especially if you are somewhat daft, but even if you are a relatively smart person who knows more about Bingo than asbestos.
Well, I’ll tell ya.
You should care because asbestos is an ugly rock (basically) which, when disturbed, breaks into tiny microscopic shards of death which can be inhaled and which can give you serious illness and/or life-threatening cancers such as mesothelioma.
So, basically, you should care because your life may depend upon it.
“Wow, that sounds bad,” you might continue. “But if there’s asbestos in my ceiling tiles, or plumbing insulation, or flooring, blah blah blah (yes, you might say ‘blah blah blah’)… wouldn’t I already be suffering from these adverse and possibly life-threatening effects?”
(Because that’s how smart Bingo players like you talk.)
And the answer is that asbestos, in its regular form, isn’t too dangerous. It’s when it’s disturbed, by a remodeling project gone wrong, or by a broken pipe and the resultant water damage, or by a house fire, blah blah blah (yes, I say it too), that the real danger exists.
(Note that many of these unexpected problems can come upon you through no fault of your own. Which is why they are called “unexpected.”)
So, for you Bingo enthusiasts, normal asbestos might be B-9 (“benign”), but if it gets disturbed, intentionally or un, it’s more like I-Cantbelieveit, or N-2itivelybad, or G-Whiz, or O-sh… uh, O-Shucks.
“But… But… Didn’t They Outlaw Asbestos? Isn’t It Illegal?”
… You might ask, using your third and final question for this round.
And yes, the U.S. federal government did outlaw asbestos for about a hot minute, roughly thirty years ago, and then re-legalized it again shortly thereafter following pressure from certain special interests (three guesses who those special interests were… and the first two are wrong).
You still aren’t allowed to manufacture stuff containing asbestos in the United States… but you can sure import the ugly stuff, and boy, do they ever! Tons and tons of this dangerous stuff is imported into the U.S. every year, and there’s a good chance there’s some asbestos in your home or workplace.
It’s just a sad fact.
Which brings us back to our central theme: You can’t tell by looking. That’s why you need to have suspect materials tested for asbestos before an unexpected happening happens. Stay safe. Test today! Otherwise, you’re taking chances. Like pulling Bingo balls out of the hopper when there are some in there that could cause you to, um, die. So schedule a test before you pull another ball!
