Readers,

Today I am running a guest post by Asbestos.com. This company approached me a couple of weeks ago and asked to be able to provide some information on asbestos and its abatement and alternatives on this site. Since we find what is likely asbestos laden materials in many homes, I agreed, and have done only a little editing for clarity. (This is not a paid blog post, by the way.)

Asbestos is not hazardous if it remains intact and does not become airborne. If you have a home with asbestos products (often found in heater duct insulation and in “popcorn ceilings” of older Silicon Valley homes), you can either remove them by hiring professionals who follow rigid guidelines to ensure everyone’s safety, or you can leave them alone but encase them and you should have no problems whatsover. Many buyers, of course, would prefer that it be entirely gone. This is not a “do it yourself” project, though. Attempting to do this on your own is potentially quite dangerous. If you wish to find and eradicate asbestos, you will need to call in the experts, who know how to handle hazardous materials.

Guest post written by Joe Lederman of Asbestos.com

Although manufacturers and mankind has known of asbestos’ health hazards for a long period of time, it wasn’t until 1990 when the California Air Resources Board (CARB) began to regulate the amount of asbestos used in surfacing applications. Due to the widespread use of asbestos throughout the 20th century, it is essential for those involved in real estate to take the proper measures in inspecting and removing the harmful product. With the consistent growth in technology and public awareness, there are currently a number of products which replace the need for asbestos.

Renowned for a large industrial history, California’s economy has had success in areas such as ship-building, mining and power generation. These industries found many usages for asbestos, as the material has fire and heat resistant qualities. Homes, workplaces and public facilities built prior to 1980 can still harvest asbestos. Asbestos exposure has resulted in the development of severe lung cancers such as mesothelioma. Typically, signs of this illness will not turn up for 20 to 50 years, making it difficult for physicians to diagnose potential carriers. Mesothelioma treatments vary from chemotherapy, radiation and experimental procedures. Although medical technology continues to improve, mesothelioma claims thousands of victims every year in the United States alone.

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This morning brought a chilly 35 degrees here in Silicon Valley. Rain was threatened and kids everywhere across Santa Clara County have been hoping that the snow will come low enough to play in easily today.

The nippier-than-usual weather brings not just hope of very unusual snow, but also a chance to learn something about your home (or your future home, if you’re in escrow to buy a San Jose area home).

My Los Gatos street is like a lot of other residential areas in Almaden Valley, Cambrian Park, Campbell, and Willow Glen - homes are clustered together and closed up tightly against the cold. Look at the rooftops. What do you see on an icy morning?

Frost graces all three of the roofs above. But how much of the roof has the white blanket? In this case, more is better.  The homes where there’s little or no frost are essentially “defrosting” their roofs with escaping heat. Homes that hold in the heat better do not have warm roofs and thus have a good amount of frost on top.

Of course, places where air or gas is meant to escape, such as at the vent pipes, are going to warm up the area immediately around them.  If there are just patches of melted ice with no such pipes nearby, perhaps your insulation has been disturbed and it’s worth a visit to the attic.

Buying a home? Drive by early on these cold winter mornings to see how frosty the roof is.  Selling a home? Make sure your insulation is good - it is a selling point that cost-conscious homebuyers will appreciate!

So if you want to go green, have a look at your roof on an icy morning and see if your heat is staying in the house or defrosting your roof.