Article written for Perry & Co. by Sean McCahill
Public Awareness Director for PleuralMesothelioma.com

Home inspections are a valuable process that rapidly studies areas of concern in your property and gives you peace of mind. To protect your real estate investment, professional consultants can provide an evaluation of the home. Consultants will identify material defects in structures and components of the home, in adherence to or exceeding national, state, and industry regulations and standards.

Asbestos that is damaged due to age is known as friable asbestos. This is a serious concern because its toxic fibers can easily circulate and be inhaled. The best advice is to leave any suspected asbestos undisturbed until evaluated by a professional. Asbestos that is not disturbed may not be a cause for concern. Normally, asbestos can appear in roof shingles, pipe coverings (especially at water heaters and gas-fired furnaces), dry wall board, attic insulation, joint compounds, electrical wires, gaskets, furnace cement, and fire brick. The material was also used in a type of ceiling called popcorn ceiling. If an individual is exposed to airborne asbestos fibers, it can lead to the development of a form of lung cancer known as mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma itself has a very long latency period with symptoms arising anywhere from 20 to 50 years after exposure. In most patients, this leads to a late diagnosis when the disease is already in an advanced stage of development. On average, the mesothelioma life expectancy of a patient is not as positive as one would hope, ranging between four and eighteen months following diagnosis.