Why You Should Get an Asbestos Inspection Before Demolition or Remodeling

Are you preparing to remodel or renovate your home? If so, you should be aware of state and federal regulations that are in place for dealing with potential asbestos during the demolition process. If the remodeling activities you are performing will potentially disturb asbestos-containing materials, you will be required to have your project inspected for those materials by a certified specialist before you can begin work.

Here’s an overview of what you should know about getting an asbestos inspection before beginning a demolition project in Aspen, CO:

• Age: There’s a common misconception that only buildings of a certain age will contain asbestos-containing materials (ACM). However, the truth is that buildings of any age may contain ACM—even buildings that have recently been constructed.
• Inspections: If the structure or components of a building to be disturbed during the remodeling or demolition process will exceed trigger levels for ACM, then an asbestos inspection performed by a certified asbestos professional is required by law. The exceptions are if the building was built after October 12, 1988 and the architect or engineer who built the building is able to submit signed documentation showing there was no ACM used in the construction of the project.
• Amount: If the amount of the ACM surpasses certain trigger levels, then a specialty contractor will be required to remove those materials. For single-family residential dwellings, the trigger levels are 50 linear feet on pipes, 32 square feet on any other surface or the equivalent of a 55-gallon drum. For public buildings, trigger levels are 260 linear feet for pipes, 160 square feet on other surfaces or the volume of a 55-gallon drum.
• Notification: You must submit a written application to the proper authorities for a notice or permit, and will need to pay a fee. There will be a notification period before the removal of the ACM can occur. All ACM removed from the project will be required to be disposed of at a special, approved asbestos waste site, no matter how much asbestos there is.
• Demolition: During the demolition process, you are not allowed to recycle any materials that have been contaminated at all with ACM, even if they are in otherwise outstanding condition. If the demolition process will include burning or imploding, the ACM must be removed before demolition, no matter how much or how little there is. If the building has non-friable asbestos-containing vinyl asbestos tile or tar-impregnated roofing materials, the demolition must be done in a manner that prevents all ACM from becoming friable. It should not involve crushing or pneumatic jacking, which could disturb the materials and cause them to become airborne.

It’s important to emphasize that it’s not just illegal to disturb ACM, but it is also dangerous. Construction workers or building owners who engage in remodeling projects without first properly removing asbestos put themselves at risk for long-term respiratory conditions that can be quite severe.

For more information about scheduling asbestos inspections before renovation in Aspen, CO, contact HealthSafe Inspections Inc. today.

Categorised in: Asbestos Testing

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