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It's a great day at Michael Leavitt & Co Home Inspections. As this MMM is being polished off we have just had a wonderful Mother's Day celebration. I hope that all of you were able to make the Mothers in your lives feel extra special.
This week is busy before it has even started. Monday afternoon I will be teaching my "Home Inspections: An Agent's Shield of Protection" class to the local Board of Realtors. This is a 3 hour continuing education class that gives the agents continuing education units towards their annual requirements. I have a lot of fun with the class and love watching their expressions as I show them everything from knob & tube wiring to actual termite damaged substructure.
One of the most commonly asked questions that I have encountered while inspecting older homes is: "How do you remove this type of sprayed on ceilings?" I know that I am not the only Home Inspector to receive this question. I really used to hate it because of the legalities involved.
A.I.I. training teaches us clearly about the Umbrella Philosophy that defines what we do and when we are stepping out from under the umbrella. Asbestos is an environmental issue of which we are regularly asked to step out from under our umbrellas and comment on. Unless we are EPA trained and certified Asbestos Inspectors we are fools to discuss the issue, yet how many times have you found yourself saying........
"Whether or not this ceiling material contains asbestos is impossible for me to tell. Residential Asbestos materials were banned in 1978, but the existing supplies were used until about 1982 when the asbestos containing materials were finally depleted. There were 3 common different types of asbestos used, but whether yours has any, or if it has any above the EPA recommended limits can only be determined by a laboratory....... You can send a sample off to a laboratory if you decide too, and I can provide an address for you to do so."
The reply is...... "I'm going to remove the ceiling myself. A friend of mine did his and he said that it was really easy. He said that it was really dusty to scrape the old stuff off."
It is at this point that you know that they are intending to dry scrape the ceiling. As we are all aware, dry scraping the material is the most hazardous thing that you can do with it. And since the conversation has already been started you are now faced with the ethical decision to step out of your umbrella of safety. I am well aware that my Service Agreement says that I am not an Environmental Professional. A.I.I.'s Standards of Practice do not cover me either when engaged in this type of conversation either. So what do you do???...... Do you leave this individual dangling with a dangerous thought in his mind, or do you tell them about wetting it down first??? Or do you add the disclaimer..... "I am not an Asbestos Professional, but I have heard that it is dangerous to dry scrape the ceiling. I have also heard about wet scraping, but I recommend that you discuss your options with an Asbestos Professional." And if that is your discourse, do you have an Asbestos Professional's phone number to pass along to the client???
I know that some of
you have developed the standard answer..... "I'm
not an Asbestos Professional and I cannot comment upon Possible
Asbestos Containing Materials."...... End of subject
and move on. It is also ironic that even though we aren't Asbestos
Professionals we spend a great deal of time learning about Asbestos
and even more time trying to locate any possible uses of it in
the homes that we inspect. When we do find what we suspect to
be Asbestos we report it as a Possible Asbestos Containing Material
so that we don't get sued because of it later. We document it
for sprayed on ceilings, transite pipe, heat/fire board, pipe
wrap and duct sealant tape.
It always disappointed me because the Asbestos issue was always taboo. There was no information that I had ever found that I could comfortably share with clients on what to do if a Possible Asbestos Containing Material was identified during the inspection. I did find a Popular Mechanic's article on how to encapsulate pipes with Possible Asbestos Containing Material wrap. I never did find a definitive shareable document for sprayed on acoustical ceilings. That is until now.
I am thrilled to announce that the State of Utah Division of Air Quality has stepped up to the plate and hit a Grand Slam. They have created a web page specifically addressing how to remove sprayed on acoustical ceilings. It is geared towards the homeowner and the web pages information takes the heavy liability off of our shoulders. Since discovering the site my client conversations take on a much better tone. Instead of instilling possible fear, I now provide them information. I now say........ "Many of the ceilings in the home have sprayed on acoustical ceiling material. Whether the material contains asbestos or not I do not know, I am not an Asbestos Professional. I will include in your report the internet website from the State of Utah that will tell you how to properly take care of and/or remove this ceiling material safely. Next we have a water leak over here in the corner....."
I have recreated the State of Utah's page on my own site for ease of client access. I am also sharing the information here in the MMM. I feel that this is a valuable MMM to archive. Those of you that are computerized should consider adding Utah's website to your boilerplate. I believe that the information discussed is Federal and not State specific, although I am not yet an EPA trained Asbestos Inspector. I believe that you can share this website with your clients in other States too....... You be the judge..... The following is the disclaimer on my website.
PLEASE NOTE: This page is a recreation of the website page created by the State of Utah Division of Air Quality. The original page can be found at http://www.airquality.utah.gov/HAPS/ASBESTOS/info/asbstrem.htm and was recreated here on May 6, 1999. The page is designed to give the official State of Utah's guidance to home owners on removing the sprayed on acoustical ceiling from within their own home. This information here is provided for informational purposes only and Michael Leavitt & Co Home Inspections does not assume any responsibility for the guidance which the State of Utah is providing.
IMPORTANT: Read these procedures from start to finish, making sure you thoroughly understand them, before any asbestos abatement is undertaken.
The following links are to specific subjects within this document. We recommend the whole document be studied carefully before undertaking any asbestos removal project in your home.
Basic Rules
Personnel and supplies
Protective equipment and clothing
Tools and Supplies
First Things First
Build a Containment Area
Put on protective clothing and equipment
Wet the ceiling
Test for Wetness
Taking down the spray-on ceiling
Remove Debris from the Floor
Remove the Poly containment
Decontamination
Disposal
Landfills approved to accept asbestos waste
Note: This publication by the Division of Air Quality is limited to the removal of spray-on ceilings in single family, owner-occupied residential dwellings by the owners themselves. State and Federal regulations require specific work practices and worker training for persons performing asbestos removal projects in all other situations.
Not all spray-on, textured ceilings contain asbestos. To know for sure, submit a small sample for laboratory analysis. Cost is minimal. Laboratories are listed in the yellow pages under "Asbestos - Consulting and Testing." A list of local laboratories may also be obtained by contacting the Division of Air Quality at 801-536-4000.
Use a spray bottle to thoroughly wet three or four small ceiling areas with water mixed with a few drops of liquid detergent. Using a putty knife, take a composite sample by carefully scraping about one square inch of spray-on from each wetted area into a zip-lock plastic bag. If the laboratory results are negative, meaning less than 1 percent asbestos was found in the sample, take two additional samples to confirm the analysis.
If you decide not to check for asbestos, assume the ceiling contains asbestos and treat it accordingly.
Remember, asbestos is a problem only
if fibers are released into the air. Asbestos-containing, spray-on
ceilings that are in good repair and are not being disturbed will
not release asbestos fibers. Hence, the safest, easiest and least
expensive option may be to leave it alone. Sometimes it is possible
to work around asbestos without removing it. For
example, spray-on ceilings that are in good condition can usually
be painted with a thin coat of latex paint (spraying with an airless
sprayer is recommended). However, be aware that painting these
ceilings may prevent you from safely removing them in the future.
Do-it-yourself removal is highly dependent on your ability to
thoroughly wet this material before disturbing it. Painting can
seal the spray-on material, making it difficult or impossible
to wet.
The Utah Division of Air Quality assumes no liability or responsibility for damage, injuries, illness or related health problems arising from your performing an asbestos removal project. You assume all risks involved.
Your only legal options in having asbestos removed from your home are to hire a certified abatement contractor or to do the work yourself. The law prohibits you from hiring anyone other than a certified asbestos contractor to perform asbestos removal work. Family members and friends may participate legally, provided they do so on a voluntary, no-pay basis. Be advised that the removal procedures described in this publication are intended to help homeowners minimize health risks associated with "do-it-yourself" asbestos removals. However, it should be understood that removing asbestos from your home can be dangerous. Some release of asbestos fibers into the air is unavoidable and there are no known safe levels of asbestos exposure.
Be aware that no set of instructions can address all possible situations and variables that a home owner may encounter in an asbestos removal project. In this publication, we have tried to address the more common and most important issues involved in removing spray-on ceilings.
Particularly challenging projects should not be undertaken by the home owner. If you are not confident in your ability to safely perform the asbestos removal, the Division of Air Quality recommends that you abandon the "do-it-yourself" approach and hire a certified asbestos abatement contractor.
(Return to Table of Contents)
It is important to note that even under the best of circumstances, home owner performed asbestos projects can be physically demanding and potentially dangerous.
These procedures may result in damage to walls and ceilings. Duct tape can discolor wood paneling, tear wallpaper and remove paint and texture. Water may stain walls and damage floors. Using metal scrapers on wetted plasterboard ceilings may result in tearing of the plasterboard paper.
If your spray-on ceiling has been painted, you may not be able to penetrate the paint with water to thoroughly wet the asbestos-containing material prior to disturbance. Thorough wetting is critical for preventing the release of asbestos fibers during removal. Try one or more tests to determine if you can penetrate the paint layer to thoroughly wet the material prior to disturbance. Use a plastic spray bottle containing a teaspoon or less of liquid detergent (wetting agent) in water. Spray water over a few square inches of ceiling, allowing up to 15 to 20 minutes for the water to soak in. Re-spray several times during this period. Then scrape off the material carefully with a small putty knife, catching the debris on a piece of sheet plastic in your other hand. Examine the removed material carefully for wetness.
Dispose of the debris by carefully wrapping it in the plastic, sealing it with duct tape and placing it in the garbage. If the removed material was not thoroughly wet, try increasing the number of spray applications, the amount of wetting agent used and times for soaking in, to determine the best way to achieve the maximum wetting of your spray-on material. If, after trying various spray procedures, you are unable to get water through the paint in order to saturate the spray-on material to the ceiling substrate, do not undertake this project. Leave the ceiling alone or hire a certified asbestos abatement contractor to do the work. If you remove the ceiling dry, you will contaminate your home with asbestos and expose yourself and your family to potentially high concentrations of airborne asbestos fibers.
It is recommended that three workers perform the job.
Two should perform the work and a third should be "standing by" outside the work area to provide water, tools and other supplies as needed while work is in progress. This will minimize the need for removal workers to remove disposable clothing and put on new for each exit and entrance to the work area.
Before beginning your project, you will need to obtain the following items:
Note: Persons with beards cannot be adequately fitted with this type of respirator and should not work within the containment.
Note: Asbestos-specific equipment and materials may be purchased from safety equipment vendors listed under"Safety Equipment and Clothing" in the Yellow Pages.
1. Throughout the
area of the house where the spray-on ceiling is to be removed,
cover the floors with 6 mil poly. Place the sheets so that they
overlap room edges by about a foot. Run the extra foot of sheeting
up the wall and tape the edges there securely. Make sure there
is plenty of excess poly - do not pull tight - so that the poly
will not pull away from the walls when you are working near the
edge of the room. Tightly seal all seams between sheets of poly
with duct tape. If spray-on removal is going to take place in
areas that are joined by halls or spaces where no removal is
to take place, lay a layer of 6 mil poly sheeting on the floor
to create a path on which to walk between containment areas.
Put on protective clothing and equipment.
Those who will enter the containment area to do the work should put on disposable coveralls outside the containment area while standing on the entrance/exit poly or within the air-lock. They should then put on gloves, goggles and respirators equipped with HEPA filters. If the coveralls are equipped with a hood, be sure to put the respirator head straps on underneath the hood. Tape your gloves to your disposable coverall sleeves around the wrist to ensure your arms and wrists remain covered (be sure to leave a folded tab at the end of the duct tape around your wrist, without the tab, removal with gloved fingers is very difficult). Seal the top of the rubber boots with duct tape to keep out ceiling material as it falls.
Wet the ceiling.
1. If
your spray-on ceiling was painted, use the wetting process determined
to be successful in earlier tests. Apply the water plus wetting
agent with a tank sprayer. However, if in the process described
earlier, you were unable to saturate the spray-on material to
the ceiling substrate, do not undertake this project. Leave the
ceiling alone or hire an asbestos abatement contractor to do
the work.
Note: If someone is not available outside the containment to refill sprayers, you may need a hose with automatic shut-off at the entrance to the enclosure to refill the tank sprayer(s).
Once inside the containment area, test for wetness by scraping off a few inches of ceiling material. If it is thoroughly wet to the plasterboard or other ceiling substrate, you are ready to begin removing. If the material is not thoroughly wet, re-apply water and allow time for it to soak in.
Again, if you find you are unable to thoroughly wet the material, do not proceed! Use a certified asbestos abatement contractor to perform additional work.
Note: If you must leave the containment area during the project, wet down the protective clothing with the spray bottle. Clean off the rubber boots, goggles and respirator with clean wet rags. Remove the clothing while standing on the poly just outside the entry/exit or within the air-lock. Place the coveralls and gloves in a waste disposal bag. Remove the respirator only after equipment has been cleaned and clothing has been sealed in the waste bag. Then step off the poly or out of the air-lock. Upon returning, put on new coveralls and gloves.
1. Cushion ladder
legs by wrapping them with rags or a similar material, thereby
preventing them from penetrating the poly sheeting on the floor.
4.Use clean rags
to wipe the exposed portion of the walls between the poly sheeting
and the ceiling.
Note: If your spray-on ceiling was applied as part of original construction, the ceiling was likely never finished for painting. Thus, even if you did no damage during the spray-on removal, you will likely need to refinish or re-texture the ceiling before painting. Under no circumstances should you sand ceilings after removal of spray-on material. This will result in asbestos fibers being released into the air.
Asbestos waste from an asbestos project may be disposed of only at landfills approved by the Division of Air Quality to accept asbestos waste. The location and phone numbers of such sites may be obtained by calling 801-536-4000.
All asbestos waste must be transported and disposed of in double sealed waste containers with the appropriate asbestos label. You must write your last name and address where the waste was generated on each container prior to removal from your home.
The asbestos waste must be transported in a manner that will not permit the release of asbestos fibers into the air. Asbestos debris should be transported in a covered vehicle.
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