Asbestos is a mineral fiber that, at one time, was added to a variety of products to increase and provide heat insulation. Many types of building products and insulation materials used in homes contain asbestos. Some products today still contain asbestos. Some products that contain asbestos are: roofing and siding shingles, insulation, textured paint and patching compounds, artificial ashes and embers used for gas-fired fireplaces, stove top pads, vinyl floor tiles, vinyl flooring and adhesives, the coating, tape or blanket found on hot water heaters and steam pipes, insulation on oil and coal furnaces, protective paper, millboard or cement sheets found in the walls or floors around wood stoves.