Asbestos in Your Home, Part Two

The asbestos is one of those dangers that we can't see, and symptoms of asbestos exposure usually take 20 - 40 years to develop ... but they're usually 100% fatal. So, getting yourself some basic education now, might be very rewarding in a couple of decades ...

friable - when dry, can be crumbled, pulverized, or reduced to powder by hand pressure
non-friable which cannot be reduced to powder by hand pressure

#1. Transite pipe (non friable)- you can easily recognize one by removing the register cover in the slab section of your house. It looks like a cement pipe and will most likely have very rough, uneven edges around the opening (just like on the pictures). Those rough edges are one problem, another one is that Transite pipes are not flexible and often crack under or inside the slab creating more rough surfaces and airborne fibers. If you suspect your air ducts to be made out of asbestos containing cement - have a professional to take a sample and laboratory test it - this is the only full-proof way to determine if it contains asbestos and what kind of asbestos is it.

Another Transite pipe application was the chimney flue, or its insulation. As an insulation performs well unless significantly deteriorated, falling apart (just like on the picture, which often happens if used on exterior, above the roof parts of the chimney).

Transite pipe used as a primary chimney flue, with no metal liner inside, creates a problem when it cracks, and starts leaking exhaust fumes into the attic or living area. Therefore, all vent pipes that pass through the house living areas and the attics are now required to be double-walled, galvanized metal, or Type-B, and I highly recommend replacing the Transite pipe and disposing of it correctly.

#2. Paper wrap insulation on heat vent flue pipes joints (friable) - when it comes to water heater or furnace replacement, its vent pipe might need to disassembled - if it is asbestos, this process should be done by a asbestos professional.

#3. Vermiculite insulation (friable)- is a silver-gold to gray-brown mineral that is flat and shiny in its natural state and puffed and dull in its expanded shape (EPA).

Tons of Vermiculite based material is still insulating the Chicago land homes, usually in the attics and wall cavities, some of it might be heavily contaminated with asbestos. This mineral was discovered near the town of Libby, Montana (Grace mine) in 1881, and mined between the early '20s to the early '90s (records indicate that 70 -80 percent of all vermiculite sold in the world during that time came from the contaminated Libby, Montana mine), and distributed under the name of "Zonolite". With or without asbestos Vermiculite looks very much the same, and cannot be distinguished without laboratory testing. So if you recognize in your home material that looks like one of the pictures, make sure that you have it evaluated by a professional;

- don't disturb it (vacuuming, sweeping, dusting)

- if sweeping / cleaning is necessary, wet it first to make sure that no dust is produced during this process

_ stop any remodeling process during which Vermiculite was discovered or which might cause Vermiculite disturbance.

#4. Sprayed on Textures Ceilings (friable)- some of us love it, many use it because it hides surface imperfections, and many more don't like it. When it comes to remodeling you should test it for asbestos presence, because using a traditional scraping method will produce plenty of dust.

#5. Cement asbestos roofing and siding - no danger under normal conditions (non friable), but it could add several thousands of dollars to your remodeling or demolition project, when you're faced with removing it.

#6. Fireproofing (friable and not friable) - asbestos containing panels of various types (some resembling cement boards, or thick, cardboard like paper), installed above the furnaces, surrounding furnace / water heater room, inside the furnaces and boilers (I've seen some inside the old forced air furnaces used a liner of a heat exchanger enclosure walls), as a furnace or water heater insulation.

Local law might require that you perform asbestos inspection when applying for a demolition or construction / remodeling permits, so check with them first.

FBF Diet Ebook Review - Turn on Your Body's Fat Burning Furnace

The FBF diet (or Fat Burning Furnace) by Rob Poulos is one of the most popular diet and fitness program online these days. With raving testimonials by customers and training experts alike, it seems that this program, created by a former overweight man who managed to turn his life around has helped men and women from around the world to shed weight and get fitter.

What does the FBF program teach?

Basically, as the name implies, Fat Burning Furnace is all about how to turn your body into a fat incinerator. Each of us has an internal flab incinerator known as our metabolism. Some are just born lucky with a natural metabolism high enough to go through tremendous amount of calories all day long. Others need to work a bit harder to stoke this metabolism until it's like a raging fire. This is what Rob Poulos teaches in his program.

Our metabolism is influenced by many things such as our lifestyle, sleep, stress levels, and so on. It is particularly influenced by what we eat and how we eat it and by the way we train. You see, muscle mass in particular has a massive influence on our metabolism. The more muscle mass we have the more calories we burn each day.

And you don't need to be a muscle builder to enjoy this. Even 2-3 extra pounds of lean muscle tissue will have a dramatic effect on how your body burns off fat. This is one part of the FBF program, how to use strength training to build muscle mass in the right way.

Your nutrition plays a key role as well, and Rob Poulos dedicates a significant part of his program to show you how to eat and what to eat in order to have a higher metabolism, capable of melting off your body fat fast.

Fat Burning Furnace requires that you workout regularly and that you follow the eating guidelines. You do have a lot of variety in your food choices and you can enjoy yourself with this plan.

It's hard work but the results can be worth it.

Comfort Zone Vs EdenPure Infrared Heater Review

I am often asked which Infrared Heater is better, the Comfort Zone, or the EdenPure, and the answer is always a tricky one. Neither one completely blows the other out of the competition, but there are some minor differences between both units that deserve being mentioned.

The Comfort Zone Infrared Heater performs better than the EdenPure in the area of heat diffusion and operating life time. The Comfort Zone Infrared Heaters have a new heat diffuser made of stainless steel that is capable of producing 14% more heat than its competitors. Comfort Zones are also designed to last longer because of their unique infrared heating technology. It boasts up to a 20,000 hour life span before a replacement could be necessary. The EdenPure though, uses standard infrared bulbs that are only rated at a 5,000 hour operating lifetime.

A similarity that both the Comfort Zone and EdenPure share is the type of heat exchanger each unit has installed. They both use solid copper heater exchangers that enhance the absorption of infrared heat. This copper exchanger converts the infrared waves into a bandwidth of 9-10 microns through a process of copper ionization. This bandwidth is the optimum level for maximum heat absorption.

The Comfort Zone provides healthier heat. What this means is that Comfort Zone Infrared Heaters do not burn any oxygen, or affect humidity levels during operation. Most standard electric heaters can emit harmful byproducts and produce uncomfortable heat. The Comfort Zone though, provides a gentle type of heat that stays consistent from floor to ceiling.

Both units come with a fully functional remote and thermostat, and diffuse their heat with the help of an internal fan. Comfort Zone Infrared Heaters use a Dual DC fan system that is much quieter in comparison others. This is an important aspect of an appliance you will be operating in your home for an extended period of time.

In terms of pricing, the Comfort Zone comes out to be more expensive. The highest price Comfort Zones are approximately 400-500 dollars, while the most expensive EdenPures are in the 300-400 dollar price range. Both units however, share a similar price tag in their lower priced models of around 300-350 dollars.

In conclusion, both of these Infrared Heaters would make great additions to your home, but it is important to weigh the options and make an informed decision. The Comfort Zone , while offering slightly better functionality, comes at a slightly higher price. I have found that when purchasing an item such as this, it is important to look for the best quality product that you can comfortably afford. This decision will pay off in the long run in terms of maintenance fees and repairs.

The Diet Solution Review - Is This Another Diet Program Scam?

With so many weight and fat loss programs being sold everywhere, how do you know which is the right one for you? Quite frankly, most diet programs that I have tried are completely useless and are only created to make money for the commercial companies. The Diet Solution is a new program that promises to help you achieve your weight loss goals, but I was really skeptical about it when I first saw it.

1. Who Is Isabel De Los Rios? Can You Listen To This Person?

After digging further for more information about the creator of this program, I have found out that Isabel De Los Rios is a certified exercise and nutrition specialist with 10 years of experience in helping clients get rid of obesity problems and reach their desired weight levels. She has had to deal with obesity problems herself in the past, but she has overcome it and has now created the Diet Solution program based on her 15 years of research and methods.

2. What Is The Diet Solution Like?

This program is a step-by-step system that uses the concepts that Isabel has compiled in her years of studies. You will not find a whole list of theories about the human body and nutrition inside this guide. What you will find is an action plan that I have personally applied consistently over weeks to finally shed off the ugly fats on my body.

3. My Experience and Thoughts After Using The Diet Solution

I am glad that this program is not some sort of crash diet that has always failed whenever I used them. Instead, it teaches you a way of eating and living your life that will gradually but permanently help you lose the unwanted fats on your body. There is nothing extreme or difficult about the methods inside The Diet Solution. All that is required is persistence in applying the steps, and you should expect to see results within a few weeks after using it.

FBF Diet Review

The FBF Diet (a.k.a Fat Burning Furnace) is a fat loss and fitness program created by Rob Poulos.

Rob Poulos used to be overweight himself and only through his own research and effort did he and his wife managed to lose dozens of pounds between them and lead a healthier life.

Rob Poulos then took his own experiences, research, and knowledge and turned them into the FBF Diet which has since been used by thousands of people worldwide who were motivated to change their own bodies after reading or hearing about how Rob and his wife managed to change their lives and lose fat.

The Fat Burning Furnace diet plan is a fitness and nutrition program whose main purpose is to better utilize the body's internal fat burning abilities. You see, our body burns fat every day, every minute, really.

However, this fat burning can be fast or it can be slow. This determines how easy it is to lose fat or how hard. The FBF Diet is all about helping the body burn more calories and fat faster.

This is done in 3 ways:

1. Incorporate the right workouts into your physical routine. These include a variety of strength exercises and intensive interval cardio training to help you burn more fat and boost your metabolism, your internal calorie shedding mechanism.

2. Following a healthy eating plan aimed at making you burn more fat and not gain any. This section is more general as you do have a lot of freedom making up your eating plan. However, you will likely need to make some changes in your eating routine to get real and lasting results.

The Fat Burning Furnace diet has many positive testimonials from men and women worldwide. It does require you to make an effort to succeed in changing your body and fitness, but I believe that it can work for you.