I have asbestos tiles in my basement (of a home I recently purchased). I sent them off to a lab for testing. The lab results came back 4% asbestos. I definitely want to remove the tiles. The majority of the tiles are in good shape. Some of the corners on a few of them are cracking. Right now I am considering the DIY vs. hiring the pros for removalI have been given conflicting advise thus far. Some say do it yourself, there is a very low percentage of asbestos in your tiles -- 4%. Others say Don‘t risk it, pay for the peace of mind. Here are my questions: Is 4% a low percentage for asbestos tiles? Is this low enough to be trivial or of lessor concern when taking on DIY removal? The pros quoted me $1300 for removal and an additional $275 for an air quality test/certification. Is this a fair price for about 500 square feet of tiles? Is air quality testing really necessary given the low percentage of asbestos in my tiles? Or, are they just making money off the fear and hysteria around asbestos?
You can put things over the asbestos but if you ever sell the house it'll cost y you. It's very expensive to remove asbestos because if you break it up and disturb it in the removal process everything has to be sealed off. I'm guessing a few grand to do that job. If you don't plan on ever selling you can just tile over it with little issue. You may not have to abate the asbestos if you sell but if you sell without telling them it's in there you can get into a lawsuit so be aware. He is right about it being only harmful if disturbed though.
Asbestos Tile Removal Cost
Asbestos in tile form is stable, until you start messing with it. When you try to remove it, you will inevitably crack some. This will release the fibers. Just to give you some perspective, it only takes ONE fiber to cause mesothelioma or asbestosis. You can take the chance, but then what are you going to do with the tile? There are very specific EPA regulations concerning the disposal of asbestos. You can't just throw it in the trash. If you get caught, you will be fined a lot more than the contractor is charging you. If it were me, I'd pay the contractor. The certification will help if and when you ever sell your house. Good luck.
As okorder /, which means its probably much safer and easier to have a licensed contractor take care of it for you. Long term breathing problems are not worth saving a few hundred dollars, and seeing some of the health issues my coworkers deal with on a daily bases has reinforced this idea to me quite heavily. Don't risk it.
