If asbestos has been detected in your house, you should have it removed as quickly as possible.
This article will help you to understand how to dispose of asbestos siding.
In certain situations, it may be preferable not to strip away the asbestos siding whatsoever.
Installing completely fresh siding on top of the existing asbestos could be a better alternative.
The rules regarding asbestos siding permit single-family house owners to extract and dispose of their own siding by executing the removal methods outlined in this article.
Hire an Asbestos Removal Professional
Suppose you do not want to get your hands in the process and want someone else to replace or perform a safe asbestos siding removal procedure for you.
In that case, you should contact a registered asbestos removal professional.
A qualified asbestos removal professional must remove asbestos siding from residential and commercial structures.
You will need to use these key phrases while looking for a competent asbestos disposal firm, and you’ll be sure to locate one by typing “certified asbestos removal service in (your region).”
Then use different phrases to narrow down your search, concentrating on the region you’d want to have remedied.
Choosing to have your asbestos removed by a certified and reputable firm might lead to spending a big amount of fees and taxes.
However, this will be worth it as you will get a licensed professional who complies with all state regulations to deal with you and your property.
Give these folks the respect and civility they deserve, as their work saves many lives.
A skilled and professional asbestos removal company will leave you with nothing but utter satisfaction and safety.
When conducting the removal, the expert often has an array of equipment to wear, including a suit, respirator, shields for the damaged regions, and copious quantities of water to use to keep the dust down.
In general, asbestos siding removal by an asbestos removal professional is less expensive than tasks that require the disposal of asbestos siding with thermal insulation.
Do It Yourself
In many regions of the United States, there seem to be no regulations that make it illegal not to employ an asbestos removal firm.
You might be able to perform asbestos sliding disposal on your own and eliminate the harmful asbestos from your property if you really would like to.
Although there are regulations regarding asbestos siding disposal in certain locations, there are none regarding the removal procedure, which means you can do it yourself.
Make Sure That Your Sliding Has Asbestos
It would be better to confirm that your sliding has asbestos or not.
For this, you will have to take a small sample of your sliding and submit it to the lab. This is not an expensive process, so you should not be bothered about money.
You can send the sample to Laboratory Testing or Environmental Services to get it tested.
To get a sample of your sliding, simply wet and tear off a tiny fragment of siding (approximately one inch) and put it inside a sealable plastic bag.
If you don’t want to examine your siding for asbestos, presume it does and remediate it appropriately.
Decide if You Really Need to Remove It
Asbestos is mostly an issue because some of its fibers are discharged into the air no matter how careful you are.
Asbestos fibers will not be released until the cemented asbestos siding is damaged. As a result, leaving this just like that may be the smartest, simplest, safest, and cost-effective alternative.
It might be feasible to deal with asbestos without having to remove it.
Removing the siding might be the only choice if asbestos siding needs to be affected as part of a renovation job.
Also read: How to Dispose of Solar Panels?
Number of People Handling the Procedure and Their Protection
Even though one person may do asbestos siding removal, it is more successful when two people work together.
One person may focus on removing the unwanted sections of the siding while the other makes sure the materials stay moist and wraps waste as soon as it is extracted.
Tools and Supplies
You will need a spray bottle to wet the asbestos siding and maintain its dampness. You also add dishwashing liquid to the water for better results.
Having a garden hose at the site entrance would be a smart option to prevent the asbestos fibers from escaping the area.
Keep disposable bags to collect the asbestos waste and duct tape to properly seal the bags once full.
You will also need polythene sheets to wrap and shield the working area and separate it from the other areas.
Other tools include a pry bar, nail puller, scissors to cut the sheets, and containers for the asbestos waste bags.
Protective Gear
- The people removing the asbestos siding should wear protective masks with dual-cartridge, each with two HEPA filters. To guarantee a correct fit, have the vendor perform a fit test. If a mask does not fit comfortably, it will not be suitable to work with as it will provide minimal protection from the fibres. Each worker dealing with siding stuff or present on the site should wear a mask whether or not they are engaging in the removal process.
- The workers will also need to buy a lot of disposable coveralls depending on the amount of work. You will need to dispose of the coveralls when you leave the site and wear a new one to re-enter the place to continue working. You will have to ensure that the coveralls are properly disposed of in sealed asbestos disposable bags when you take them off while leaving the affected area.
- Wearing non-fogging protective eyewear or goggles while cleaning asbestos siding is mandatory. This ensures that no fibre enters your eyes and causes any sort of infection.
- You need to wear rubber gloves and will also have to dispose of them every time you leave the site and wear a new pair when you enter the site again.
Initial Preps
Understand that your measures in order to ensure everyone’s safety are to prevent asbestos microfibers out of the atmosphere by limiting breaking, maintaining the siding dampness, and controlling any debris while you remove the material.
- Display signs informing unexpected visits of friends, relatives, and other guests that you are working with the hazardous material.
- Tape a six-foot-wide strip of plastic sheeting that is six mils wide around the house where removal and disposal will occur. It is better to perform the process under a shaded area to maintain the siding’s dampness to prevent asbestos fibres from escaping.
- Lay down an extra six-by-six-foot piece of plastic sheet in a suitable place adjacent to the wall to make a gateway for entry or exit to the worksite. At this stage, have a plastic garbage bag handy.
- Hose down approximately 50 sq. ft. of panelling properly.
- While preparing the spray to keep the siding wet, you need to mix a small amount of dishwashing liquid with water that you will be spraying on the siding to keep it wet.
- Lastly, wear your protective gear mentioned above before starting the removal process.
Begin the Removal Process
To avoid damage, remove siding sections by removing nails or clipping nail heads. To reveal nail heads, carefully raise siding sections using a pry tool if required.
If the siding breaks or falls to pieces, use the spray bottle to immediately moisten the broken or damaged areas.
As you detach each panel of siding, spray the backside. Handle the removed sliding pieces very carefully.
It must not be tossed or dropped. Remember that asbestos fibers emit only when asbestos is broken.
Retain all waste in the plastic strip at the bottom of the wall moist until it’s time to pack and seal it.
Fill waste containers with damp asbestos waste and other hazardous items, such as copper, steel, cartons, or burlap bags.
You need to line with 6 mm polyethylene sheets with plenty of plastic to conceal the waste and seal it with duct tape.
After that, cover the boxes in another layer of 6 mm plastic or place them in a single asbestos waste disposal bag and put a tag of an asbestos warning on each bag.
Cleaning and Decontamination
Before leaving the worksite and taking off your protective gear, we advise you to spray on yourself, so any asbestos fiber that is stuck on your gear is also removed and you do not come in contact with it after taking off your gear.
Safely dispose of the gear in asbestos disposal bags and shower as soon as possible.
It would be better if you go straight to shower before meeting anyone or joining a gathering to protect its spread.
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