1. Is using a heat gun or iron safe with this material? Is using dry ice for the opposite effect better? If I can't seal the remaining 20 tiles what is the best way to get them up? It seems like using a heat gun won't work well with wetting the tiles down.
Heat increses the resiliancy of the tile and prevents fracturing. This binds dusts and minimizes contamination. Cold breaks the adhesive bond by causing the surface to contract relative to the substrate. Tiles tend to pop off whole. Whatever works is your solution.
2. Considering all I was exposed to before I realized they were asbestos, should I just finish this last part or should I call a contractor? Does the fact I now have a newborn matter? (I send him out when I work on this stuff, but he has to return to the house sometime)
Your exposure theroetically increases lifetime risks for mesotheleoma only. This risk cannot be quantified for low (non-occupational) exposures. Due to latency (long period of time for disease development) and low potency and dose, this risk is minimal. Avoid smoking and don't worry about it. Kids should not be exposed because their expected lifespan greatly exceeds the latency time. To prevent contamination in the house, isolate and ventilate the work area with exhaust fans to ensure air is pulled away from the occupied areas of the house. Completely clean all surfaces of the work area when complete using soapy water and lots of rags. Latex paint is a great encapsulant and besides brightening the basement can seal down any stray fiber.
3. Am I going to die? From reading your posts, it seems like the dust in the old ceiling was more likely 30 years of house dust and not asbestos dust. Even though I can no longer do anything about that, do I need to have someone come in and test my whole house for airborne particles?
Eventually, but probably not related to asbestos. Relative to other daily risks, asbestos exposure of this nature ranks pretty low. I agree the dust could not have evolved from stored tile. From now on use a respirator with HEPA cartridges and disposable clothing so you don't have to bring contaminated materials into the house.
Testing would not be conclusive. Asbestos is an environmental contaminate and may be present in trace quantities even without prior work on ACM materials. Air testing would require aggressive methods (air blowers during test) and would have a great deal of interference from other fibers in the home (insulation, fabrics, carpeting). Most air sampling methods only measure fiber, not fiber type. You would pay through the nose for testing using definitive methods like X-Ray difraction or electron microscopy. Results would only be significant if you could compare them with a control site, like neighboring homes. Invest your money in a good cleaning. Have the carpets extraction cleaned by a commercial unit, and give the house a top to bottom wet cleaning, or paint.
Hope this helps. Keep us posted on your progress. |
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