we just had Liam Hogan from Leinster Contracting remove asbestos from pipes in our basement -- he was awesome!!! I was referred to him by others on the Brownstoner and he really delivered. Not only was he on time and on budget but he is a genuinely good guy. The project is finished and our basement has never been cleaner. He will also put you in touch with a company that does air quality testing.

Contact info for Liam is 718.651.9100

Posted by: tiffysteff at August 21, 2007 10:48 AM in response to Asbestos tile removal

Not sure how much you need to have removed, but I recently had asbestos removed from pipes on our basement and it was a very quick/painless experience. It wasn't messy and it was completely safe for us to be in the house while it was going on. For us it took 1 day to remove it and another day to reinsulate the pipes with something different. We used Liam from Leinster Contracting...I recommended him on this board just yesterday.

Posted by: tiffysteff at August 22, 2007 1:38 PM in response to Asbestos

I've also worked with Dig -- Chuck Dorr is fabulous!

Posted by: tiffysteff at October 9, 2007 11:40 AM in response to Landscaping

i second Liam and his team, they did an initial once-over, then came back a couple days later and were done ahead of time. also it should be noted that for the most part, asbestos tiles are not as serious a thing as asbestos insulation, which is much more likely to get into the air.

Posted by: Jimmy Legs at August 21, 2007 11:28 AM in response to Asbestos tile removal

I highly recommend Branch Restoration Services. I have found them to be honest, highly reliable, licensed, and have done hazmat jobs for me in the past. Ask for Mike Caputo. Tell them Erin Joslyn recommended them to you via Brownstoner.

Michael J. Caputo
Vice President
Branch Services Inc.
261 West 35th Street #403
NYC, NY, 10001
Mobile 917 855-4397
Office 212 244-8441
Fax 212 244-3131

Posted by: guest at August 21, 2007 4:32 PM in response to Asbestos tile removal

We discovered asbestos in our plaster walls. Needless to say, it was expensive to get rid of. Earl, from N.Y. Clean Tec did it quickly and under our initial estimate.
NY Clean Tec 718-342-2557, ask for Earl

Tell him Kim-ah-nick sent you.

Posted by: guest at August 21, 2007 9:28 PM in response to Asbestos tile removal

Most people living in old housing stock in Brooklyn don't realize that there is is almost always a (very)small amount of asbestos mixed into the plaster. It was like cake batter, and sometimes there's a clump, where you will get a higher reading (although usually less than 10 percent). Most old plaster also contained lead. Tons of reno goes on without any pre-knowledge of these issues.

Posted by: guest at August 22, 2007 10:39 AM in response to Asbestos tile removal

Tiffysteff, approx. how much did that removal cost? I am in the same situation (a few pipes in basement) and my husband wants to try to do this himself (of course, I'm totally against that idea)

Posted by: guest at August 22, 2007 4:23 PM in response to Asbestos

hi i'm john rodriguez and i do this kind of work and have brownstoner references.
just call me 347 996 6148

Posted by: jrodriguez at August 22, 2007 4:48 PM in response to Asbestos

4:23, we just had this done ourselves and it is super expensive if done by the book. there are two ways to do it. the first is available if you have less than 25 linear feet of asbestos to be removed. this does not require air testing or dob approval and costs around $1,000-$2,500 to do. if you have more than 25 linear feet, it's a more cumbersome process and can cost up to $6k (which is close to what we paid). apparently many people choose the less expensive option (which is just as safe as the more elaborate option) even if the amount of asbestos exceeds the threshold, and some contractors will accomodate this.

Posted by: z at August 22, 2007 11:19 PM in response to Asbestos

You cannot close an open building permit without legally abating the pipe insulation, which should cost between $2500-4000, when done by a licenced abatement contractor - IF you intend to do any work that will risk disturbing the asbestos material. If not, you may leave it as is, undisturbed. It is illegal to have anyone other than a licensed asbestos professional remove asbestos, not to mention potentially hazardous to you and your family. Fines are steep - in the tens of thousands of dollars. If you are doing reno in that space, you will need to hire an independent air quality controller - about another $750, as well. This is required by law. Pipe insulation is quite friable (the most dangerous forms of asbestos are friable - they can break down into a powder easily and release harmful particles into the air), and it is worth having removal done properly (not to mention knowing for a fact your air is clean afterwards), especially if you have young children. Poor removal can release dangerous asbestos particles into the air.

I am not in the hazmat industry, just someone who's been through it - twice.

Posted by: guest at August 23, 2007 8:16 AM in response to Asbestos

I worked with Brooklyn based Timothy Osborne aka. The Organic Gardener.
He was very knowledgeable and fun to work with!
www.theorganicgardenernyc.com

Posted by: guest at March 6, 2008 3:42 PM in response to Landscaping