Environmental Concerns

[nvalleyvee]

I worked in environmental clean-up for 15 years. I had SOOO many certs it was embarassing(sp). I bought this 120 year old house and started renovating it. OMFG -the environmental nasties that were here. I've removed all of them (under the law) except one. My dining room floor. I really wanted to keep the 2 inch oak floors and now - after 2 years - I think I will have to rip if out. The mastic contains asbestos but it is not illegal or lethal asbestos. It is NOT friable. It is contained in such mass amounts of TAR that it causes no lung hazard - I can't get the tar off the 3/4 inch OAK floor. I am sad - more tile for the house. BTS tried his hand on it tonight and even sort of kind of admitted - it would take tons of labor and lots of sharp tools.

So my environmental concern is........if you get into a renovation project on a house that is over 30 years old and don't have experience in building materials...ask someone but not the government (they can condemn your house) how to remove certain materials. I was told by people who did not have my certs that my house would have to be tented and asbestos people would have to come in and it would cost $35,000 to remove 600 square feet of mastic - bullshit. My asbestos inspector and contractor experience put them off.

[minks]

nvalleyvee wrote: I worked in environmental clean-up for 15 years. I had SOOO many certs it was embarassing(sp). I bought this 120 year old house and started renovating it. OMFG -the environmental nasties that were here. I've removed all of them (under the law) except one. My dining room floor. I really wanted to keep the 2 inch oak floors and now - after 2 years - I think I will have to rip if out. The mastic contains asbestos but it is not illegal or lethal asbestos. It is NOT friable. It is contained in such mass amounts of TAR that it causes no lung hazard - I can't get the tar off the 3/4 inch OAK floor. I am sad - more tile for the house. BTS tried his hand on it tonight and even sort of kind of admitted - it would take tons of labor and lots of sharp tools.

So my environmental concern is........if you get into a renovation project on a house that is over 30 years old and don't have experience in building materials...ask someone but not the government (they can condemn your house) how to remove certain materials. I was told by people who did not have my certs that my house would have to be tented and asbestos people would have to come in and it would cost $35,000 to remove 600 square feet of mastic - bullshit. My asbestos inspector and contractor experience put them off.


oooo that is some nasty stuff.