In older homes, asbestos was often used as part of the flooring material. In many cases, it was incorporated into old tiles, for instance, which may be used in a kitchen. For some laminate materials that get rolled down onto the floor, or for the tiles themselves, the glue can also contain asbestos.
In some cases, beneath these layers of flooring, people will find a substance that looks like roofing tarpaper. This is known as felt underlayment or a felt backing. It is often a thin and papery substance, which has been rolled down as yet another layer of flooring.
While there are cases in which this is just a non-harmful type of tarpaper, it is important to note that the felt underlayment itself could also contain asbestos. People will sometimes carefully remove the tile and the glue and then simply try to sand away this felt underlayment, but doing so can be dangerous because it releases a lot of asbestos particles into the air.
Why are airborne particles an issue?
Asbestos becomes most dangerous when it can be inhaled. That is why remediation teams are careful to wear the right protective equipment, including specific masks.
Felt underlayment in particular tends to deteriorate with age. While it was trapped below the tiles, asbestos particles may not have been released into the air. But the process of ripping out the tiles and the glue above the underlayment can cause it to fragment, increasing the chances that it will lead to a dangerous condition like mesothelioma. This is especially true if someone tries to scrape or sand away the paper layer, perhaps believing it is a harmless type of tarpaper when it is actually full of asbestos particles.
There are significant risks of asbestos in older buildings, as it used to be widely used before the dangers were fully understood. Those who have developed mesothelioma or suffered other health complications need to know what legal options they have.