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Keep Kids Safe
Avoiding the Hazards of Home Remodeling By Alyson English
Asbestos is another hazard that was commonly used in older homes. "Many building materials made before the 1970s contain asbestos as a fire retardant," he says. It may also be in places you wouldn't necessarily suspect. Asbestos can be in pipe and furnace insulation; shingles, siding and roofing; millboard; resilient flooring; the backing on vinyl sheet flooring and floor tile adhesives; patching and joint compound; and even in soundproofing and decorative materials.
Ashe says that asbestos removal should never be a DIY project, though: "Improperly tested or removed asbestos can be a far greater danger than it is undisturbed," he says. If you suspect your home might have asbestos materials, check the EPA's Web site to make sure your contractor is in compliance with the government recommendations.
The lumber Barnes refers to has been treated with the preservative chromated copper arsenic, or CCA. While it extends the life of the wood by keeping other living organisms from living in it, it contains chemicals that can leech and be harmful to children and pregnant women. "We actually took the step of removing the porch and rebuilding it to protect our coming first child," Barnes says. "We learned later that the baby could have experienced all sorts of issues from the pressure-treated lumber's toxins had we not taken the action we did of removing the porch."