Asbestos Abatement Faux Pas

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Author Message   melicious Citizen Username: Melicious Post Number: 39 Registered: 6-2002 Posted on Tuesday, July 22, 2003 - 5:59 pm:        In the category of DON'T do it yourself... the owner of the home we are purchasing tried to remove asbestos in the basement himself (with a scraper!!!???) and we now have to hire (at his expense) an abatement person. Does anyone have any experience with this? What kind of testing do I need at the end of this? This is one of those jaw dropping experiences that only happens when you buy a house... THANKS for all and any advice   tjohn Citizen Username: Tjohn Post Number: 1595 Registered: 12-2001 Posted on Tuesday, July 22, 2003 - 6:58 pm:        Asbestos isn't mercury or plutonium or cyanide. After an abatement professional finishes, he will test the air to demonstrate that asbestos levels are within acceptable tolerances. If you clean your basement in the future, use a wet mop as opposed to dry sweeping so that you don't raise dust that will most likely contain some asbestos. Make sure that you get a certificate certifying that the cleanup was done properly and that asbestos-containing materials were disposed of properly. And remember that although more than $50 billion has been spent on cleaning up residential asbestos, it is hard to demonstrate that a single-life has been saved. In fact, if residential exposure to asbestos were the only exposure, there would NOT be the current near-panic heightened awareness of the hazards of asbestos.   marken Citizen Username: Marken Post Number: 20 Registered: 4-2003 Posted on Tuesday, July 22, 2003 - 9:52 pm:        If you need a fast, reliable estimate, try D&S Abatement in Totowa. We received an estimate from them after our offer was accepted, and used them after we closed on the house. They were on time, careful, and even located more asbestos than the owner's inspector did and identified asbestos residue on older pipes. Agree with Tjohn re: the certificate.   melicious Citizen Username: Melicious Post Number: 41 Registered: 6-2002 Posted on Wednesday, July 23, 2003 - 9:28 am:        thanks - that's exactly the company that we are using. glad to hear they are reliable.   wharfrat Citizen Username: Wharfrat Post Number: 775 Registered: 6-2001 Posted on Wednesday, July 23, 2003 - 2:09 pm:        Marken- What did D&S charge you for their services? BTW, did you buy the yellow house on Kensington Terrace?