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What Drives the Decision to Remove Asbestos?

Almost every authority believes the removal of asbestos is a last resort. The costs of asbestos removal start at thousands of dollars for a small, easily accessed area with asbestos-containing material (ACM). If you plan to remove some of the asbestos in the house, go ahead and remove most or all of it. Once professional help has been brought in (with specialized equipment and training) and the legal disposal of debris has been arranged, you are not going to want to go through it again.

The strongest reason for removing asbestos-containing materials is that it is the only way to prevent future accidental exposure. It's the only way to guarantee protection of family, neighbors, and anyone who comes in the house to do any kind of work.

If a sprayed on ceiling falls, even if only four or five square feet of it, immediately seal off the room from the rest of the house. Find someone to verify that the fallen material contains asbestos and seek professional advice for the next step to take. Removal of the fallen material and any part of the remaining ceiling may be suggested. Living in the house while cleanup is taking place is an option, but it is a risky one. Remember, there is no known safe level of asbestos. Take proper precautions to make sure your health is taken care of.

The surest way to make a decision about removal is to establish a relationship with a reliable and licensed asbestos inspector. Any agency in the state that is responsible for asbestos regulation (environmental quality, public health, or labor safety) should be able to help find an inspector with full qualifications. The inspector (and there is no reason not to interview several and compare the services they offer and the prices they will charge) should be able to do the following:

• Tell you what materials in the home are likely to contain asbestos
• Assess each ACM for friability, which would require some kind of treatment, usually removal
• Collect air samples to be tested and find out if you are already exposed to airborne asbestos fibers from these materials
• Safely collect samples of all materials you are considering removing and having them tested to verify that they contain asbestos
• Assess the risk that each of these materials and whether or not the asbestos-containing materials will release fibers into the air

Never hire an asbestos inspector who pressures the use of a particular abatement company to perform the removal. The inspector should be independent and be able to evaluate the abatement contractor's work. If you decide not to remove asbestos-containing material, there are two main options for keeping safe as long as the ACM remains stable and non-friable:

• Encapsulate it by sealing it in a way that fibers cannot escape into the air. For example, with a sprayed or troweled asbestos-containing textured ceiling, you could install a dropped ceiling under it (but not an ordinary suspended ceiling), or you could spray on shellac to penetrate all the way through and paint over it. It's hard to tell that the shellac has penetrated, but that is needed to keep the ACM adhered to the ceiling. A thicker "bridging" product, even ordinary latex paint, can be used to seal the surface, but every layer makes the material heavier and more likely to come loose. Once that starts, you have no choice but to take it down. after being painted, it is going to be nearly impossible to penetrate fully with water for safe removal. Even a penetrating encapsulant makes ultimate removal more difficult.
• Enclose it under an airtight covering. This might be tape or plastic wrapped over pipe insulation, or a new floor laid over asbestos-containing materials. For exterior siding that is starting to crumble (or you may fear will crumble), apply new sheathing as if it was a new wall to flatten and contain the asbestos-containing material. Make sure the nails for the new siding are long enough to go through the asbestos and to the wall studs. There are some fiber-cement boards (without asbestos) on the market for small repairs. Even loose attic insulation can be enclosed (first with plastic sheeting nailed to the rafters, then with plywood nailed down over the top to prevent accidental puncture of the plastic).

Most asbestos projects need the advice of professionals to ensure complete safety. There are commercial products available (from merchants that advertise "safety equipment and clothing") for closing small holes and sealing the asbestos in, but make sure the products are specifically intended for asbestos. Do not be shy about asking for explanations and advice.

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