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Botched asbestos removal in home...

34K views 28 replies 14 participants last post by  Maintenance 6 
#1 ·
Not once but twice now. Remodel going on and well i'm not even going to go into how it happened. But it did. So does anyone have any recommendations for vacuuming the dust up and making it safe to live in the house again?

I read HEPA vacuums are good. But that a lot of them lie about being true HEPA. The filters are rated for HEPA but the vacuum itself has leaks around the seals etc..

The only vacuums I know that are rated for asbestos are $700. And they use HEPA. So if I could find a consumer grade vacuum that I know is air tight it should do the same job.

Is it normal for contractors to totally laugh about this stuff?

And please don't tell me to bring in the pros, that is not an option.
 
#4 ·
The only vacuums I know that are rated for asbestos are $700. And they use HEPA....
$700 is Cheap. I have a Festool CT 22 Dust Extractor that is rated for 0.3 micron filtration that is NOT rated for asbestos and costs over $500
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=18131&cookietest=1

Even if you could get a free asbestos Dust Extractor the following point is far more important:
So if I could find a consumer grade vacuum that I know is air tight it should do the same job..
Absolutely NOT
The Dust extraction tool is only a small part of the problem. Just as important all the personal protection and barrier construction to seal off the area.

Then and this is a BIGGIE how to dispose of the vacuum bags, now contaminated filters, contaminated protective suit and booties, and all the plastic sheeting and tape used to hold the whole shebang together.
Did you think about this problem?

This is NO DIY Project


Is it normal for contractors to totally laugh about this stuff?
Any Contractor with any kind of license takes this VERY seriously
 
#6 ·
$700 is Cheap. I have a Festool CT 22 Dust Extractor that is rated for 0.3 micron filtration that is NOT rated for asbestos and costs over $500
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=18131&cookietest=1

Even if you could get a free asbestos Dust Extractor the following point is far more important:Absolutely NOT
The Dust extraction tool is only a small part of the problem. Just as important all the personal protection and barrier construction to seal off the area.

Then and this is a BIGGIE how to dispose of the vacuum bags, now contaminated filters, contaminated protective suit and booties, and all the plastic sheeting and tape used to hold the whole shebang together.
Did you think about this problem?

This is NO DIY Project


Any Contractor with any kind of license takes this VERY seriously
They all laugh about it here
 
#8 ·
You're an idiot. You do not have the knowledge or experience to be doing what you are doing. Just a heads up there are serious legal consequences for improper containment and disposal of asbestos. When doing asbestos removal or working with asbestos companies are required to keep records on all employees exposed for at least twenty years. Do yourself, your family, and the general public a favor and hire a licensed abatement company.
 
#9 · (Edited)
I hope you live alone :huh:

But:

Asbestos abatement (removal) contractors — anyone handling or removing asbestos in Washington
Note to Homeowners:

If you are working on your own residence and it is not used for commercial purposes, then you are exempt from these requirements. However, you must provide information to contractors and other workers you bring in to work on your house. If you need asbestos assistance,
BUT:

A growing number of doctors and researchers are concerned about the long-term effects of low-level exposure. As a rule, asbestos fibers tend to attach themselves permanently to lung tissue; long term, residual accumulation might eventually cause disease.

The prudent assumption, according to the EPA, is that there is “no safe exposure” to airborne asbestos.
AND:

Do-It-Yourself Asbestos Abatement Process

After asbestos has been located in the home, there are two options: hire a professional abatement team, or remove the asbestos yourself. Although removing the asbestos without a specialized company often brings further complications and is costly, some homeowners feel as though it is the best option. In order to ensure the highest safety measures for you and your family, it is important to obtain samples and have it tested to make sure asbestos has indeed contaminated the area. You can then proceed with the abatement process after a diagnosis of the room has been performed. Once again, it cannot be stressed enough that asbestos, if left alone, is non-toxic. By removing undisturbed asbestos, you could be creating more of a problem (health wise and financially) if you choose to remove it.
Removing asbestos is not an easy task. By taking on this type of project and the responsibility associated with it, you are foregoing any legal help that you could have received by hiring a professional abatement company. When you do decide to take on the project, it is important to have a game plan. The first steps should include: getting proper breathing ventilation systems for yourself and others that may be working on the project, purchasing protective clothing that can be thrown away after abatement is complete and becoming aware of state and federal regulations when removing asbestos on your own.
Removal procedures first begin with permits that you must obtain from your state regulators. These documents are a guide on how to proceed with the abatement process and proper disposal after removal of the material has been complete. The application that follows with this permit is proof that you are taking full responsibility for safely removing the asbestos from your home without contaminating those inside the house or anyone else that could potentially come in contact with the loose material until it is properly disposed of. There are also fees that vary from state to state regarding the permit and application process.
At this time, if you are taking on a team to help you with the project, you must think of their safety and your liability to them. Proper work gear, clothing (overalls, boots, eye protection, gloves) and breathing respirators are required for the safety of the team. However, it is important to realize that hiring any form of workers other than a professional abatement team is against the law. Having more than one person help you with abatement is important because it allows one person to concentrate on removing the material while the other packages the material and keeps it wet until disposal. It is also important to note that individuals with facial hair should not participate in asbestos removal, as protective gear may not fit properly and potentially expose them to loose particles.
There are several preparatory steps necessary before the abatement process begins. Those who are participating in the project should make sure all tools are purchased and ready for the process (such as hoses, water sprayer, dish washing detergent, pry bar and a knife). There is also specific equipment that can be purchased for asbestos removal. You can find these resources by checking in your local phonebook for companies who specialize in making protective gear and apparel. When beginning to remove the asbestos from the designated area, it is imperative to keep the material wet at all times. This allows the fibers to settle and not become airborne. The goal for the abatement process is to remove the asbestos without the particles becoming airborne. The material should be carefully scraped off the surface into bags that are specially designed for asbestos removal, sealed and handed over to the other worker to be sealed again. The process for removing asbestos differs depending on what kind of asbestos you are removing and what portion of the home it is in. For example, removing siding may have different tasks for removal than if you are abating a room that had flooring filled with the toxic material.
Contained material should be kept in storage bins that are properly sealed and labeled to be taken to a landfill designed for asbestos. The landfill should be picked and notified before the abatement process takes place. You have to make sure that your local landfill accepts asbestos material and has enough room for the amount of waste that you will be bringing. Clean up should consist of wetting any area of the room that had not been finished or is still in question for containing asbestos. Even if you think you got it all, it is still important to keep everything wet and out of the air. When workers have completed the job, they must decontaminate themselves by wetting themselves down and removing the protective clothing. Always remove respirators last after all garments have been removed. If dust particles are still present, do not vacuum or sweep them up. Instead, wet them down and remove them the same way. Make sure all workers, including you, have thoroughly showered after the project is complete. When the process if finished, make sure to obtain an "after" sample to make sure that all asbestos has been safely removed from the area.
 
#10 · (Edited)
It's already been removed. Man i've been looking for consumer vacuums all afternoon with no luck finding true hepa. (under $400)

Lets see take the advice from abatement contractor with 20 years experience. Or some hypochondriac hippies on an internet forum.


My plans are clean up what was already removed. Paint and seal. Then yes i'm brining in a pro to do an air test. AFTER things are painted and sealed. Everything is legal here.
 
#13 · (Edited)
Personally, my recommendation is to not try to jury rig a retail vacuum cleaner into something it wasn't mean to do. It will leak, and you'll end up with asbestos left behind, which will get kicked up and into the ductwork, your clothes, bed spreads, you'll fail any air test, and it will be in that house forever. Hopefully this isn't a flip. If you get caught doing that as part of a flip, they call that a willful disregard of public safety, and well, I just strongly recommend you fix the problem within the law.
 
#14 ·
Lets see take the advice from abatement contractor with 20 years experience. Or some hypochondriac hippies on an internet forum.
I feel so sorry for you. You come here to ask for advice then you blast those of us that try to help you. You are a very ignorant person. Look up the definition of hypochondriac, that word doesn't begin to fit what you are trying to say. Not only are you thankless and ignorant of life you are also uneducated.:)

Good luck to you. I'm outa here. You're welcome by the way.:)
 
#16 ·
Alright. This looks like a rant. And having read through all of the ranting, and some mis-information, let me ask you this:
What was done? How was it left? What are the current conditions?

A true asbestos rated HEPA vac will cost you about $800.00 dollars. Obviously this doesn't appear to be an option. Give us an idea of what your problem is. We will help you sort it out, short of giving you advice on how to get your butt in trouble or helping you come down with asbestosis.
(licensed for 12 years)
 
#17 ·
There was some fireboard we didn't know it was asbestos until after removal as well as 12% popcorn ceiling. Everythings cleaned out. We aren't living in the home until situation is resolved, and no this is not a flip. Do you know if an air filter in the home would make a difference? I was reading about IQ air its Hyper HEPA which is 99% at .001 microns! Obviously its very expensive though.
 
#18 ·
Popcorn texture is notorious for being an ACM. Fireboard can mean a lot of things. Many board type products are non-friable, meaning that they are not easily reduced to powder by hand pressure. Being non-friable, they don't pose much health risk unless broken or sanded, which could release airborne fibers. In order to be effective, an air cleaner would need to filter ALL of the air in a space within a reasonable amount of time. That is not likely to happen. Those types of systems are fairly effective on dust, pollen or mold spores, but are not likely to trap everything effectively. Additionally, in order to be HEPA rated they would need to meet an efficiency standard of 99.97%. That is a set standard. Period. This means that for every 10,000 air borne particles 0.3 microns or larger, a HEPA filter will only allow 3 of them to pass through. And that is ONLY for the filter. A poorly constructed housing may allow an untold number of particles in all sizes to pass through. If you have had a contamination, then the house needs to be THOROUGHLY cleaned by someone with a true HEPA vac, rated for asbestos. Homeowner vacs with HEPA filters won't cut it.. The filters will meet the HEPA standard (at least when new), but the fine print will tell you that the vac is not constructed to HEPA standards................. only the filter. Then it needs to be certified by someone taking clearance air samples which need to be lab analyzed both for quantity of fibers and type of fibers.
 
#19 ·
THIS IS RIDICULOUS!

Call a professional asbestos abatement company and get an inspection. That will answer all of your questions and your money will be well spent. It will be a lot less expensive than buying a special vacuum cleaner that you will use only one time. This isn't making any sense.
To continue to hash this out here at this point is totally counterproductive. I'm beginning to believe this whole story is contrived merely for your own entertainment.:)

If you were so concerned about the health of you and your family you would be doing something positive about it by now.:)
 
#22 ·
If a contractor made this mess, just report him to the local EPA. Call OSHA too, just for the giggle factor. It'll be cleaned up, on his dime, in short order. I bet he won't be laughing either.

You did post this as if the work was hired out.


"Not once but twice now. Remodel going on and well i'm not even going to go into how it happened. But it did. So does anyone have any recommendations for vacuuming the dust up and making it safe to live in the house again?"

"Is it normal for contractors to totally laugh about this stuff?"
 
#28 ·
Im curious as to how it really happened. If he had a contractor i would think law suits would be in order, but you arent going to accomplish much from that. The fact that he had no money was already a problem. If he was on lots of forums, everyone of them mentions the dangers of asbestos. half of them say its no big deal and just keep it wet. the others take it seriously so who do you really believe?

Its interesting to say the least.....
 
#29 ·
The problem with a botched asbestos removal is that the stuff keeps getting reintroduced to the airstream where it stands an increasing chance of being inhaled. A slight exposure may never cause you a problem. Kepp repeating the exposure and the odds keep changing. Most of those that say it isn't a big deal are not people who have been certified to do abatement and understand what happens to the asbestos, how it acts, how it travels and what it can or can't do. Keeping it wet is only a portion of the process.
 
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