Service 05 · Survey, containment, removal, air clearance
Asbestos Abatement
Asbestos in good condition is usually best left alone. It is damage, and renovation, that releases the fibres, and by then it is a licensed job.
Licensed & certified
Summary
Asbestos is the commercial name for six naturally occurring mineral fibres. Because it is strong, flexible, heat-resistant, chemically inert and non-conductive, it was used across construction for decades: pipe and boiler insulation, gaskets, duct insulation, fireproofing on steel and concrete, fire doors, floor tile, linoleum, mastic, roofing, siding, transite pipe, window caulk and glazing, textured paint.
Fibre masses break easily into microscopic particles that float and cling to clothing. Inhaled or swallowed, they cause mesothelioma and lung cancer. Buildings put up between roughly 1920 and 1980 are the usual candidates. Asbestos in textured paint and patching compound was banned in 1977, but the material already installed did not go anywhere.
The EPA recommends that testing, repair and removal all be done by an asbestos professional, and that you use a different firm to test than the one doing the removal, to avoid a conflict of interest. We agree, and we will say so on the phone.
What the work covers
Identification and sampling
The only way to identify asbestos by looking at it is a label. Everything else is sampled and laboratory-analysed. Until results are back, treat the material as if it contains asbestos.
Full removal
Sealed containment under negative pressure, wet removal methods, disposal as regulated asbestos waste under our EPA hauler certification.
Repair, encapsulation and enclosure
Where the material is in good condition and removal is not warranted, sealing or covering is cheaper, though it makes later removal harder, and we will tell you that trade-off up front.
Pre-renovation and pre-demolition surveys
Required before most commercial work in New York. We survey, sample and report before the trades arrive rather than after.
Air clearance
Post-abatement air monitoring before containment comes down and the space goes back into use.
How the job runs
- 01SurveyA walk-through identifying suspect material, its condition and its friability, with samples taken by qualified personnel.
- 02Laboratory analysisSamples analysed by an accredited laboratory. Improperly taken samples are more hazardous than undisturbed material, which is why this is not a DIY step.
- 03Notification and permitsRegulatory notification filed where the scope requires it, before work starts.
- 04ContainmentCritical barriers, negative air with HEPA filtration, decontamination unit at the entry, and full respiratory protection for the crew.
- 05Wet removalMaterial is wetted, removed, double-bagged and labelled inside containment.
- 06Clearance and disposalAir clearance testing, then transport and disposal at a licensed facility with a manifest returned to you.
Typically included
- Asbestos survey and sampling
- Accredited laboratory analysis
- Regulatory notification where required
- Full containment with negative air and HEPA filtration
- Wet removal methods and crew respiratory protection
- Encapsulation or enclosure as an alternative to removal
- Post-abatement air clearance
- Licensed transport, disposal and manifest
On cost
Ask any asbestos contractor to show you their licensing and credentials, including ours. Every person working in your building should be able to produce proof of EPA-approved training. Get costs from several firms; they vary widely for the same scope.
Out of pocket, most jobs
$0
Most people we work for pay nothing out of pocket.
Most of our services, crime scene cleanup included, are covered by homeowners insurance. Where a crime has been committed, remediation for eligible victims and their families may be covered by the New York State Office of Victim Services. We work with the carrier directly.
The assessment is free and it happens before any work is agreed. You get a written scope, and you get told honestly which route applies, including when the answer is that nothing here is claimable.
After a tragedy you should not be left with the aftermath of a tragedy and a bill. That has been this company's position since it started.
Also handled
Request 05
Tell us
what happened.
A person answers the phone. If it is easier to write it down than say it out loud, use the form. We read every one and reply the same day.
- Telephone
- 631-419-7988
- Fax
- (888) 811-3912
- Head office
- 1863 Pond Road, Suite 4
Ronkonkoma, NY 11779