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January 14, 2009
asbestos removal recommendation?
We have a pipe in our furnace room that has a small amount of asbestos insulation, probably about 5-6 ft. We never bother removing it on the recommendation of our contractor, but we're selling the house and the new owners would like it removed and I've agreed to do it. Any recommendations? We're in Prospect Heights.
Many thanks.
Comments
Definitely call John Rodriguez. He removed asbestos from a furnace at my place more than a year ago. Clean, efficient, reasonable. You can reach him at 347 996 6148. Tell him Chris from Decatur Street referred you.
Posted by: cmontgom at January 14, 2009 2:50 PM
You're legally allowed to remove that yourself, altho there is no legal way to dispose of it unless you take it to a landfill out of state. But for that small amount...
Posted by: denton at January 14, 2009 2:58 PM
I'm with denton on this....wet it down, put on a mask, package it in a few plastic bags....
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at January 14, 2009 4:34 PM
I had exactly the same amount. I called about every agency that seemed to have jurisdiction and waste disposal company to get advice and once they found out how little I was talking about and that it was a residence (2-family) situation, they basically wondered what I was worried about.
While the stuff on the pipes is considered friable and hazardous once disrupted, like Dave said, put on a mask, wet it with a spray bottle every step of the way, put on a disposable Tyvek suit if it makes you feel better, double bag it with strong bags, (seal with tape), and away it goes.
It will go into a landfill, buried, where it will do nobody any harm. You are not exposing the public to any risk and done carefully as discribed, you will not be polluting your basement air.
Or spend 600-800 to have somebody else do the same. I saved the money and sleep just fine.
But I would not put used motor oil in the trash.
Now if you were remediating a hospital, school, apartment building, or subway tunnel, the risk, fines, and liability grow exponentially.
Posted by: renomandru at January 14, 2009 5:18 PM
Certified Asbestos Removal
2279 65th St
Brooklyn, NY 11204
(718) 331-4160
Posted by: superstooper at January 14, 2009 5:19 PM
Best way abatement. Will cost not much more than $100 and they dispose properly, protect their workers and the site. Best company we've come across for doing this sort of thing. Disposal rates for this stuff have dropped a lot and so did the license costs, so I think the other companies are just holding on to previous rates thinking ppl will pay them.
Posted by: justinm at January 14, 2009 6:01 PM
justinm, are you saying someone will come to your house, they will protect workerS, that's plural, as well as protect the site, that is various sheetings and so on, for $100? And then dispose of it legally? Sorry, just not possible. Think about it.
renomandru is exactly right. As are his numbers if you want to hire workerS, etc.
Posted by: denton at January 14, 2009 8:11 PM
I had remnants of an asbestos pad under our old boiler; keyspan refused to clean up (said wink-wink, we'll be back tomorrow and if it's not there, we can install the new one.) I cleaned it up myself, it was mostly brick-like debris. My wife, however, freaked out periodically because it was sitting in the basement for years. Finally I got rid of it.
The dangers of such a small amount of asbestos-laden material are waaaay overstated. For small amounts, it's a ripoff to have to get an abatement contractor. But that's the law for you.
Posted by: cmu at January 14, 2009 8:37 PM
I have to agree with denton, DIB and others... for that small amount I would remove it myself. Otherwise it will be a ridiculous amount of money to do something that you could have easily done.
Posted by: katiem633 at January 14, 2009 9:18 PM
Thanks, everyone. Good recommendations and advice for both options. I'm figuring out what to do...
Posted by: loplop at January 15, 2009 12:21 AM
Just another DIY voice on the pile. Asbestos is not kryptonite. It's long fibers that will bury themselves in your lungs. If too many get buried over a lifetime, you die younger and less happy. 5' of it over your lifetime will not make a huge difference.
FWIW, I agree with the wife who didn't want loose bricks hanging out for years in her basement. That's the kind of longterm exposure that starts to make a difference... although the quantity doesn't seem like that big a deal.
Posted by: vanburenproud at January 15, 2009 7:28 AM
If I remember correctly as the homeowner you can put asbestos out on the curb with your regular trash in NYC. As a homeowner you have no way of knowing what is and what isn't asbestos in the eyes of the law.
I'm with the DIY set on this one. Wet it thoroughly and wrap the entire thing in contractor bags. Pull it off and stuff in 2 more contractor bags. Only seal the inner bag with duct tape.
Posted by: Bklyn Fire Alarm Guy at January 15, 2009 7:58 AM
vbp, the brick dust was double or triple bagged, not freely piled up. If that makes it a danger, you're terminally risk-averse. I guess growing up in India makes me completely blasé about this sort of thing.
Posted by: cmu at January 15, 2009 9:11 AM
Oh, relax CMU!
I envisioned a pile of loose bricks lying around CMU, not bags. I know mercury is retrograde, but no fair smacking my Risk Aversion when it's obviously a misunderstanding!
Posted by: vanburenproud at January 15, 2009 9:22 AM
Denton,
They did all that and I do believe it. It was maybe 10' of insulation around a pipe, they tented the place, hooked up the vacuum, bagged it up and left (they wore disposable suits). Took about a half hour at most and they would've still make a profit to dispose of it properly (there were two guys). Whether they disposed of it properly or not is something that you will never know, regardless of the company.
Posted by: justinm at January 15, 2009 10:45 AM
ok sorry, but having to endure wife's complaints makes me sensitive. She even said we should tell our tenants about the ticking timebomb in the cellar, at which point I shall I say, lost my ever-limited cool?
Posted by: cmu at January 15, 2009 11:04 AM
It's all good...
Posted by: vanburenproud at January 15, 2009 12:09 PM
BFAG, you absolutely cannot do that legally!
Posted by: denton at January 15, 2009 2:38 PM
Maybe not morally, Denton. But even abatement professionals sometimes have a hard time discerning what is and isn't asbestos.
Posted by: Bklyn Fire Alarm Guy at January 15, 2009 3:37 PM
I'm with BFAG on this one.
People overreact to specific risks that are nameable.
Posted by: vanburenproud at January 16, 2009 8:00 AM
Don't mess with it. Get a professional. Otherwise you'll really wish you'd spent the money when you end up finding out you're facing an early death from mesothelioma or asbestosis.
Posted by: dog13ert at January 16, 2009 3:21 PM
^^
See what I mean?
Posted by: vanburenproud at January 16, 2009 3:54 PM
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