What is asbestos?

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral and common building material known for its heat resistance and insulating properties. 

What are some products made with asbestos?

• Vinyl asbestos floor tile
• Pipe insulation
• Plaster
• Roofing felt
• Adhesives, sealants, and coatings

And many more building materials.

What makes asbestos dangerous?

What makes asbestos dangerous are the mineral fibers of the material that can be released into the air and inhaled. These fibers once inhaled can cause cancer among other respiratory and health problems. 

Undisturbed, asbestos materials are not harmful but once disturbed, broken, or crumbled, these fibers are released and can become airborne. 

Certain asbestos Materials are more “friable”, or more likely to release fibers into the air than others, such as pipe insulation or plaster containing asbestos. Other materials like asbestos vinyl floor or asbestos cement slabs are considered “non-friable” forms of asbestos. These materials are more durable and less likely to release fibers. Breaking, smashing, sanding, or drilling these materials can and will cause fibers to become airborne.

Removing Asbestos

Asbestos can be approached in 2 ways:  Abated/Removed or Encapsulated. 

When abating asbestos, we come in and completely remove the asbestos then dispose of it following federal guidelines. 

When encapsulating asbestos, we apply a sealing coating that will “encapsulate” or seal any fibers from being released from the material into the air.

The first thing we do to ensure safety in our process when starting a project is setting up a containment.

Then we assess the area/s containing the asbestos and we cover any “critical areas” or escape points for fibers with 2 layers of 6mil plastic or “Poly” as well as industrial-strength adhesive tape to hold the poly in place and create a perfect seal. “Critical areas” can be vents, windows, cold air returns, doorways receptacles, etc. Then we proceed to cover the floor, walls, lights, and other areas in the containment as needed for each project.

Negative air machine

Next, we create negative air pressure in the containment that we set up in the first step. To create this negative pressure, we use a Hepa filtration machine. These machines filter the air through HEPA filters (which trap the fibers) and exhaust clean air out of the building. This process creates negative air pressure in the room so that any fibers released into the air cannot become airborne and float around in the room or escape into adjoining rooms. The size of the area determines the number of machines needed.

PPE: (Personal Protection Equipment)

After the containment is up and the machines are in place the workers are fitted with the proper PPE equipment for working in the containment. Each worker is provided a fitted OSHA-approved respirator equipped with the proper filters. Next, the worker is given an approved protective suit. All workers are State certified to remove asbestos.

Water! Water! Water!

Water is our best friend when removing asbestos. We use wetted methods by spraying the material with amended water or encapsulants in order to prevent any fibers from being released when removing the material. Water reduces dust and particulates, therefore, reducing the chance for fibers to escape.

Clean Up

After the asbestos has been removed it is double bagged for disposal. We then proceed to clean the area with water/mopping and HEPA vacuum cleaners in order to clean up any remaining dust. The containment is then torn down.