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Asbestos Abatement articles

Use an Asbestos Abatement Contractor to Demo Single-Family Homes

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Hiring an asbestos abatement contractor is the safest way to contain asbestos fibers when renovating structures built prior to 1980. However, the Occupational and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations don’t apply to dwellings with under four residences. This means that homeowners considering remodeling – or clean up after a disaster – have the responsibility to protect themselves, their families, and their neighbors by following known guidelines.

Protection of a home containing asbestos

When it’s time to remodel, if you have a home built before 1980, you probably have asbestos in tiles, drywall joint compound, mastic, insulation, shingles, popcorn ceilings, or another of the many uses for asbestos in construction. It is impossible to recognize visually, so a prudent homeowner will contract with a professional abatement company. They can test and let you know if it’s safe to proceed or if abatement is necessary. Why is this important? There is no safe level of asbestos exposure. When undisturbed it poses no harm, but if it has deteriorated, or it experiences drilling, sawing, sanding, breaking – fibers are released and can be inhaled. Once in the lungs, it can cause serious diseases such as lung cancer, asbestosis, or the fatal disease – mesothelioma.

Contractors may be unaware or just not care

demolition lacking an asbestos abatement contractor
Dangerous demolition

Contractors often don’t take the dangers of asbestos seriously. They proceed to demolition without testing, personal protective equipment (PPE), or precautions. As they proceed, dust is created that may contain asbestos. This fiber-laden dust doesn’t affect only the person doing the job, but the entire building, anyone in it, the surrounding properties, as well as the clothing and vehicles of the workers.  As a famous asbestos scientist once stated “asbestos dust doesn’t recognize trade classifications” – meaning that once the fiber is liberated it poses a hazard to anyone that comes in contact with it.  For improperly demolished residences, that risk can extend to the families of construction workers, and in many cases, the neighbors of the demolished property.

Hiring an asbestos abatement contractor

While hiring an abatement company to test before that happens may seem an unnecessary expense, it can save lives and is relatively inexpensive. If asbestos is found, the abatement contractor knows the best methods to either repair damage to an asbestos product or remove it completely.

Read Before Removing A Popcorn Ceiling

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Removing a popcorn ceiling is one of the first thing a DIYer does to update a home built between the 1950s and 1978. It’s a messy job, but beyond that, it creates a likely danger to the remodeler and anyone who will live in the home.

Several products used to build homes before 1978 contained asbestos, a mineral used for many reasons. It is fire resistant, easily molded into shapes, has insulating properties and seemed to be an almost perfect addition to many building materials. Popcorn ceilings, tape & bed joint compound, shingles, and textures for walls and ceilings were all popular. Asbestos-containing drywall patching compounds were banned in 1977 by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Work that disturbs any potential asbestos materials can lead to serious diseases, such as lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma – a fatal disease that is only acquired through asbestos exposure. If the structure was built in 1978 or earlier, even 1980 to be safe, any suspicion of asbestos needs to be tested by a professional. It cannot be discerned by a visual inspection.

Why is testing so important?

Asbestos is comprised of microscopic fibers that, when disturbed, can be inhaled. These fibers can remain in the lungs for decades before showing up as a health disaster. Anyone in the vicinity of the fiber dust is susceptible to these diseases. It can circulate through air ducts, land on furniture and clothing, or carpets – anywhere the air takes it.

Testing is not expensive and results can be found within days. It is worth the time and expense to avoid a deadly disease.

What to do when removing a popcorn ceiling

The good news is that undisturbed popcorn ceilings and other asbestos materials are harmless until they are disturbed by deterioration, scraping, sawing, drilling, or any action that releases the fibers. Removing a popcorn ceiling is not a DIY project if it is shown to contain asbestos. That is when a professional and certified asbestos abatement company is required. Many people and contractors are willing to take a risk, but it is a serious and potentially deadly gamble. There is no safe level of exposure to asbestos. The CPSC gives four points to consider:

  • Asbestos is impossible for a consumer to identify without a microscope.      
  • It is not possible to know the exact degree of risk with any low-level exposure.
  • The product is not the problem, it is the release of respirable fibers.
  • Specially trained people are necessary for any removal of asbestos. An untrained person can create more of a hazard than it eliminates.

The bottom line

Asbestos is dangerous when disturbed in any way. Most countries throughout the world have banned its use. The U.S. is one of the few developed countries that has not completely banned the mineral. Removing popcorn ceilings is only one of many threats to health. If you are concerned about this danger that continues to exist, contact you senators, congress persons, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Once a ban is issued, there will still be asbestos in our environment into the next century.  We can make a difference, but only if we care enough to contact those who can add us to the list of countries banning asbestos totally.

Louisiana Asbestos Abatement Inspector Pleads Guilty

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The U.S. Attorney in New Orleans says a contractor has plead guilty to a theft charge for defrauding a Louisiana school system out of more than $200,000.   Federal prosecutors alleged that from 2015 to 2017, a Louisiana asbestos abatement inspector submitted false asbestos reports to Louisiana’s Terrebonne Parish School Board (TPSB.) The charges alleged that not only were lab reports faked, but the signature of an accredited asbestos inspector was forged.

Filing false asbestos reports is a federal crime

Prosecutors alleged this is not the first time he falsified documents. In 2013, the same individual received 12 months’ probation and was required to pay $3,040. to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and a $100 fine when he plead guilty to falsifying documents provided to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ.)

When the 12 months of probation were completed, the defendant began contracting work for the TPSB. Federal charges allege that fabricated asbestos laboratory reports were filed for fees totaling approximately $212,618.26. These funds came in part from federal funds provided to the TPSB.

A sentencing hearing is set for December 16, 2020..

Why is this crime important?

If the reports were falsified, that means for at least two years testing was not performed at schools in Terrebonne Parish. Many older school buildings have at least some asbestos – ceiling tiles, insulation, mastic and more. Left undisturbed, these products do not pose a health hazard. But, if there is remodeling or repair, fibers can be released into the air leading to inhalation.

There is no safe level of asbestos exposure. Over two years, there was a potential for work which disturbed existing asbestos containing products. Improper asbestos abatement with no air monitoring is dangerous and creates a health risk.  There is no safe level of exposure to asbestos and even low level exposures can increase the risk for development of mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis.

What can you do to prevent false asbestos abatement reports?

Whether responsible for a school district, business, or your own home, check credentials of anyone monitoring, abating, or working on a building that possibly has asbestos. Any building built before 1980 should be tested for the presence of asbestos-containing materials before major remodeling or demolition work.

Asbestos Shingle Siding – Keep It or Not?

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asbestos siding
Asbestos Shingle Siding

Have you seen homes with asbestos shingle siding that looks like this?

It is often present in neighborhoods built in the 1920s into early 1980s. A number of construction product manufacturers found that by adding asbestos to their cement, a long-lasting, fire-resistant, attractive product could be made. One product was asbestos-cement shingles. Product manufacturers including Johns Manville, Keasby & Mattison and others mixed the asbestos mineral into their cement, pressed it into sheets, and were able to create a variety of looks, finishes, and sizes for asbestos shingle siding.  

Asbestos turns from miracle to deadly product

When the many benefits of asbestos were first discovered, it was touted as a miracle. But, after many decades, as people handling it became sick, medical literature began to establish that breathing asbestos dust posed a very real human health hazard.

By 1972, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) placed limits on the levels of asbestos a worker could be exposed to in a given day. In the following years, asbestos was phased out of many products including siding. However, there is still no outright ban on asbestos in the United States.

Asbestos can cause a number of diseases – lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma, an incurable cancer of the lining of the lung. Many homes, schools, government buildings, manufacturing facilities, and businesses built with asbestos products remain in use. This means knowing how to deal with the possible presence of asbestos extremely important.

How to handle asbestos shingle siding

Asbestos shingle siding is one of the main products do-it-yourself (DIY) home renovators of older homes may find. Because it is widely known that asbestos is dangerous, they may decide to tear it down. That would be a very bad decision. Asbestos is not harmful if undisturbed. However, since this is a fibrous mineral, it is when the tiny fibers are released into the air that trouble begins. An asbestos shingle that has no cracks, breaks, crumbles, punctures, disintegration, etc. is rarely a problem. If the shingle is damaged, stop work and hire an accredited asbestos abatement professional. There is no safe level of exposure and handling siding debris or tearing it off can expose you to harmful levels of asbestos. Some shingles may appear similar to those with asbestos but are solely cement. The abatement contractor can determine composition, but it is not discernible for a person without the right equipment. Don’t take a chance.

The problem with asbestos

These invisible fibers are easily inhaled. They can also attach to clothing, furniture, carpets, and air ducts leading to inhalation by the person who worked with the mineral. They can also be inhaled by anyone who comes in contact with that person – such as family members. The danger is very real and also very sinister as it may be decades – even 50 years – before a diagnosis of mesothelioma is made.

While it may be tempting to pull down a couple of damaged shingles from an otherwise secure wall, it is not worth the risk. As said previously, there is no safe exposure level to asbestos fibers. Bring in an expert abatement professional who knows what can be done safely with asbestos siding and protect your family and yourself.

Asbestos Warnings after TPC Explosions

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The night before Thanksgiving, 30,000 people near the Texas Petroleum Chemicals Group plant (TPC) in Port Neches, Texas were evacuated due to explosions which led to asbestos warnings. The two explosions sent debris flying “like a missile” over four miles according to Judge Jeff Branick, head of Jefferson County’s Office of Emergency Management. In addition to asbestos and other toxic debris ejected over the large area, a large amount of butadiene and raffinate chemicals was released through the fires and smoke.

This geographical area along the Gulf of Mexico coast east of Houston is covered in oil and chemical facilities, so false warnings and fires are familiar. But these explosions brought thoughts of the 1947 Texas City disaster which killed hundreds when a ship exploded. Evacuation orders included Port Neches, Groves, Nederland, parts of Port Arthur, and the communities of Central Gardens and Beauxart Gardens.

Warnings about touching any new debris in yards or roofs were sent out quickly since it was known asbestos, a toxic mineral, was used throughout the affected buildings.

Why asbestos warnings?

Asbestos was found in yards 1½ miles from the blast. It was used extensively in these buildings – some built in the 1940s. It is a known carcinogen that can cause the deadly disease mesothelioma, along with lung cancer and asbestosis. It is devious as it can take up to 50 years from the time of asbestos exposure before the manifestation of cancer. Parents are concerned because they are finding asbestos in yards where their children play every day.

Removal is not a DIY project, as the microscopic fibers in asbestos can be inhaled easily. Any removal must be done by abatement contractors experienced and certified in this dangerous job. A hotline – 866-601-5880 – is in place for anyone finding asbestos.

Why was asbestos used?

Asbestos was thought a miracle mineral in the early 20th century and even much further back in history. It began to be used in many products by the 1930s until 1980 when it was no longer approved for most products. It is flexible, strong, heat resistant, and can easily be made into a wide range of products. Boilers, shingles on roofs and exteriors, tile mastic, insulation, pipe coverings, brake pads, and textured paint are a few of many uses. As long as the products are undisturbed so that fibers are not released, it is not dangerous. But, as these products age, are disturbed by renovation or teardown, or by disaster such as these explosions, fibers are released and inhaled. The actual fibers are too small to see with the naked eye.

Current situation

Local and outside agencies were quick to respond, beginning with asbestos warnings.

• A week after the explosions, the fire is finally extinguished. No “all clear” yet as response measures are still in process.

• Counselors are available for those needing emotional support as well as needing more answers to their health questions.

• Air and water quality are continually monitored by federal, state, and local agencies.

• Claims are addressed by visiting homes in the highest impacted areas and for those living outside of those areas, appointments are made to view damage and ensure those who sustained damage have submitted insurance claims.

• Any person or family included in the mandatory evacuation should fill out an online form if they are requesting reimbursement.

Asbestos remains a primary concern. If everyone finding asbestos reports it and gets it remediated by professionals, the chances of future health problems are much reduced. However, if warnings are not taken seriously and DIY measures are performed, it could harm not only those doing the work, but could spread it further – even through their clothes in interactions with other people.

Mesothelioma is still a terminal disease with no actual cure and must be taken seriously.