CFLs have become increasingly popular in the last few years. Their light output to

 

Asbestos has been used to provide heating and acoustical insulation for many years. It is very fireproof and can even strengthen building materials and make them more durable. Unfortunately though, it is extremely toxic. If you have an older home asbestos can be found in many places.

 

-In wall boards, textured paint, joint compounds, and spackling compounds.

 

-In older homes in insulation used around pipes as well as in the paper around the pipe insulation.

 

-In a lot of old appliances, including wood-burning stoves. As they get old they release at asbestos fibres

 

-In some floor tiles, particularly old linoleum which have an asbestos backing. This usually isn't a problem unless you decide to remove them.

 

-Sprayed onto walls and ceilings for decoration and insulation.

 

It can be somewhat useful to determine if you have asbestos in your home. If you are unsure please contact a professional. They will be able to tell you if your home has any asbestos products in it.

 

If your home does have asbestos products, often time it is easier to just leave them alone. Don't gouge them or tear them apart. If the fibers are not released into the air they are not toxic. You can also cover them in various ways. For example if you have old linoleum tile, you can simply put a new floor on top of it. The same goes for siding and ceilings.

 

If you insist on removing the asbestos from your home (which may be the case for green homes), make sure you know what you are doing. This can be very dangerous, and should be left to those who were trained to deal with toxic materials. If you are unsure in any way contact some professionals. It is not worth exposing yourself to these toxics to save a little bit of money.