Asbestos is the mineral that is present in most construction products, including tiles, to make them fire resistant and increase their strength.
Do Bathroom Wall Tiles Contain Asbestos? Ceramic, asphalt, thermoplastic, and vinyl bathroom wall tiles contain asbestos minerals. It is present in tiles to make them heat, fire, electricity, and corrosion resistant, increasing their strength and durability. You can identify their presence by the size and age of the tiles or by calling professionals who deal with asbestos.
These minerals are present in construction materials and are made up of thick, strong, and microscopic fibers, so they can bear more weight and cannot break easily.
Is asbestos present in bathroom wall tiles?
Asbestos is the construction material that is present in some bathroom tiles to make them resistant to damage.
It is common in most old homes built in the 70s or 80’s centuries. It is common construction material in this area to provide strength and durability to your homes.
In addition, it is also present in the grout of the tiles and contaminates your surrounding environment.
You can find this material in various bathroom fixtures because of its durable construction, especially in older buildings.
The proven harmful effects of asbestos on health decrease their amount in the construction materials. These are replaced by other compounds that can provide strength and durability.
The asbestos regulation comes after the 80s century, in which the use of this mineral is strictly prohibited in construction materials, but some manufacturing industries still use it.
Why do bathroom wall tiles contain asbestos?
Almost all bathroom tiles constructed in the 70s century contain asbestos minerals for strengthening and longevity.
Heat resistant
These are present in bathroom tiles used for flooring or walls to make them heat-resistant. In addition, it provides thermal insulation and makes them fireproof and resistant to fire emergencies.
These are present in kitchens and toilets and decrease the risk of firing conditions. The risk of firing in the bathroom increases because covered electric system.
Short circuits or damaged insulation layers of wires can increase the risk of firing conditions. In addition, these are also electricity resistant, and you cannot feel any electric shocks when you touch them with wet hands.
The fire from electric circuits cannot damage them or worsens the situation.
Moisture resistant
The asbestos material helps make the wall tiles resistant to moisture. As a result, the long-term water exposure and splashes from the shower and bathing areas cannot disintegrate their material.
Water can easily seep into the wooden paneling and ruins them completely. However, because of their moisture-resistant properties, you cannot see rotting of the ceramic and asphalt material.
The water cannot degrade and fade their color, making them look old. The water splashes benefit them because they can keep the asphalt fabric moist, and these cannot come outside into the environment and pose toxic effects.
The water cannot dissolve or evaporate the asbestos material and is hence known as moisture resistant.
Increase durability
The asphalt and ceramic tiles are highly durable and cannot break easily because of their asbestos minerals.
The high-end durable material also reduces your repair and maintenance costs. In addition, these are safe and do not release toxic chemicals until the wall is drilled or sanded.
These are added to construction materials to decrease the risk of breaking and make them suitable for high-traffic areas.
These are present tiles that people usually install on floors and have high traffic and more chances of breaking.
You can hang the various accessories on these walls because of their more weight-carrying capacity and maximal strength.
Is asbestos in wall tiles dangerous?
Asbestos in bathroom wall tiles is dangerous for human health. The extent of toxicity depends on their cracks and damaged ends.
These do not contain any major toxic health effects til they are adequately sealed, and none of their corners is broken.
The broken corner cause leaking of this mineral into the environment, and people can inhale them. It can cause severe breathing issues when you come into the exposed environment for longer.
In addition, the issue also becomes severe when you do not seal the damaged corners of the tiles. It can affect your lungs when you inhale these chemicals.
Moreover, lung cancer and damage to the lung membrane are also reported from inhalation of these minerals.
How do you identify asbestos in bathroom wall tiles?
There are no visible methods to give authentic information about the presence of asbestos minerals. For example, you cannot detect it by seeing the tiles of your bathrooms because these do not have any specific and different shapes.
You can detect them from their oldness because most old houses contain this material. In addition, you can also call a licensed professional who can take the sample for detection and seal the broken corners properly.
The size can also play an essential role in their identification because these come in the market in three sizes, including 12 inches, 18 inches, and 9 inches.
Take the inches tap and measure the size of the wall tiles. You can detect them from the oily and greasy color because asphalt breaks over time and leaks oils.
What type of bathroom wall tiles contains asbestos?
Vinyl tiles are most common in bathrooms because they are highly resistant and waterproof. These are made from mixtures of wood and plasticizers but contain asbestos minerals for their strengthening and insulation properties.
Asphalt shingles are made of asphalt material that is weather and waterproof, and these cannot get damaged in highly humid areas. In addition, these require less maintenance and are more durable because of the presence of minerals.
It is present in thermoplastic tiles, and people install them in bathrooms because of their high-quality finishing, lower price tags, and easy maintenance.
Ceramic tiles contain mixtures of construction materials, including sand, clay, and water. These have anti-corrosive and anti-thermal properties because of the presence of asbestos minerals.
How do you deal with bathroom wall tiles having asbestos?
Covering the asbestos with some sealing agent is necessary, so it cannot release this mineral into the environment and cause negative health effects.
Avoid dealing with broken and damaged tiles because it can affect your health. Instead, it is better to call licensed abatement professionals to deal with them.
These cannot cause any damage until there is no visible damaged surface. The microscopic material comes and is mixed with air when these are exposed to damage.
Protect the tiles from scratches and breaks; otherwise, it can expose the mineral element. In addition, you can use high-quality paint on ceramic tiles to keep this material closed.
Use high-quality grout and sealing material to bind them properly, and do not leave any space for escaping dangerous minerals.
The encapsulation or sealing technique is common in covering these tiles present in your homes. You can also install the wooden and vinyl wall paneling over them to seal the asbestos material and keep them intact.
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