Asbestos

[UncleBuck01]

Eric H
Can I send you the bill for its removal, since I'll be in jail /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif, no hard feelings, especially if you pay the bill /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif next time try sending a private message /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
Buck

P.S. I do own it, thats what the house closing was all about, since I had a engineers report that totally missed the asbestos (my closing lawyer says I can only sue the engineer only for the fees he charged 400.00) I also can sue the previous owners only if I can prove they "KNEW" about the asbestos.
SO I guess I own IT! no matter what I do?

 

[JJT]

Get it tested, it might not be asbestos. If it is there are 3 alternatives, encapsulate it, leave it alone, remove it. Last I knew in NYS a homeowner could do their own asbestos abatement, do some research. If this were mine, and it turned out to be asbestos, I'd leave it alone until the duct work needs to be replaced, (or the house goes up for resale). Then I'd do the abatement work myself.

Nasty stuff without a doubt, but it's not the end of the world.

 

[UncleBuck01]

JJT
found this Univ of Louisville site Asbestos memo to plant maintenance
Fact Five states " EPA does recommend a conscientious in place management program instead of removal
this site seems not so HYSTERICAL" about asbestos
Just starting to research on the net, I also found a certified asbestos removal technician course within 30 min of my home, cost is $600.(instead of 6000? for removal) This might be another option for me - get certified ???? I'll keep you guys informed

Buck

 

[LBrown59]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Go ahead and think that it is hype and go ahead and think that the stuff won't hurt you.

My father and about 5-6 of his co-workers would say different. The company they worked for can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that asbestos exposure was basically limited to a single hospital job they did. 4 of them actually COULDN'T say anything to you now because they are dead. My dad is lucky because he was a supervisor and had much less exposure than anyone else. He has spots on his lungs and a continuous cough. The guys that worked in it are not so lucky.

The main exposure for them was ceiling tiles. Hard stuff. Not the fluffy stuff. )</font>````
~~~~~~~~~~~

My brother has been on oxygen 24 hours a day for 5 years due to
Asbestos exposure while working at a plant since 1968.
He doesn't have lung cancer but his lungs are pretty well shot from the Asbestos exposure.

Wonder if anyone could convince him that the Asbestos thing is all hype!
Maybe if he was convinced he could then throw the oxygen tanks away YA Think!

 

[SPIKER]

I agree with others, it is a dangerto kids more so than adults. also anyone OLDER who have weak lungs or already damaged lungs.

removal requires training not just hosing it down and wearing a 25 cent toss away mask & paint suit. there are specific procedures which can minimize exposure and worse contamination. they have plastic bags which are designed for removal of it, and have gloves built into each bag. bag is wrapped around the piping/duckwork, then the bag is sealed. the asbestose is then removed using the gloves that are part of the bags. then the material & bags are folded back over to catch it and removed & doubble bagged again.

these guys are all wearing freash air resperators, tyveck type suits doubled up and all seams taped, as well as hole area covered and monitored... not cheap or easy and even worse wetting it makes it stick to stuff & 50 times heavier, and basically don't stop it form floating around as it still gets drippy wet & falls down, then the fibers left behind are the dangerous ones. after all the work above the hole area has to be seald over with a plastic type paint which was dang expensive I belive the cost was 14K for the job above which was about 200' of 4" steamm line in our plant... I'm maintenance there and there are still a few sections that are being monitored. onces one small part starts going it has to be removed... again not a nice thing to work with. my Sister (now gone due to a rare cancer in the throught which spread to lungs & heart) worked making asbestose head gaskets for Speed Industries in Medina she stamped the harder fiber gaskets and they said it wasn't a know asbestose cancer so it was nothing they could do she passed away anyhow and I still have damage as they bought home the cutouts and we spread them in the driveway for base. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif I have spots on my lunngs the docs are thinking was from child hood pneumonia? I don't remember getting to much sick but have had broonchitius just about every year since... now I don't KNOW it was form playing & loading & unloading all thouse gasket stampings but it was litterly a dust cloud around us when we did it...

Mark M /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

[arthr31]

hmm.. very interesting conversation.... What would be recommended to someone who has asbestos type shingles covering the exterior of the house (like me)? I want to get rid of this stuff and revert to the original siding from 1800s (cedar clapboard). I thought about doing this work myself, but from what I've read here, no no no no no... Right? I can peel the shingles off whole and throw them in the trash, so what's the worry? (don't beat on me, i'm just wondering).

Also, I have a 1200 Sq ft home, what would be a reasonable cost to remove the asbestos tile...i've been told upwards of 10000 for this work.. this kinda throws a kink in the plans... thanks all -art

 

[Ken_CT]

When I was younger (a long time ago) I used to wrap ductwork with the asbestos paper I think you are describing. We soaked it in wheat paste then wrapped the ductwork with it. As to what to do with it now, everyone has a different opinion. Personally, I would leave it alone unless it is in an area where people can come in contact with it.

 

[Boondox]

We had a lot of asbestos insulation on the ships I served on, and unless it had to be disturbed for access to other structures for repairs, etc it was left alone. The mere presence of asbestos isn't a problem. The problem comes when the sheathing isn't intact and the asbestos fibers are allowed to become airborne. For minor repairs we simply had the area covered in a fine mist to take the fibers out of the air while the ducting was repaired. If the ducting was intact we simply coated it with a thick layer of paint to form an impermeable barrier between us and the hazard.

The act of removing asbestos insulation generates a HUGE amount of airborne fibers, hence the air curtains, respirators, and hazardous waste expenses. And it really is an excellent insulator. So unless you're not certain it can be contained, I wouldn't bother hiring someone to remove it.

That said, asbestos is horribly damaging to lung tissue! I would at least have it inspected to make sure it's all contained.

Pete

 

[Highbeam]

The shingles should be a non fibrous type. More of an asbestos cement like we used to make waterlines that are still in use. So long as the fibres aren't broken off and inhaled I would get those things down ASAP before the asbestos police come. Don't use a circular saw. Accepted methods for asbestos cement pipe cutting were an axe, chain pipe cutter (the round ones you twist back and forth as you tighten), and then the bucket of the machine to smash it into the ground. The chop saw was a big no-no.

Same materials for the tile. It is the fluffy insulation and airborne particles that cause trouble over time.

 

[EddieWalker]

Buck,

This is one of those rare posts when everyone is right.

Asbestos is dangerous and it will kill you. No question about it. Just like smoking. The question you had was whether you could remove it yourself.

I'm not a smoker, but encounter it often enough. Does it affect my health or will it shorten my lifespan? I doubt it.

Minimal exposure to asbestos falls into the same category. A few days of carefully working with it wont' affect you in any measurable manner.

For those who had to work with it over an extended period increased their risk depending on the amount of exposure to the airborne fibers.

You have to breath it in to cause the damage. If it's not in an airborne state, then it's perfectly safe.

If it was my decision, I'd remove it myself and not say a thing to anybody about it. Wrap it in heavy plastic, bury it deep or drop it off at a landfill. Don't have it tested, that way if anybody asks you about it, you can honestly say you don't know.

Eddie