What Is Asbestos
Asbestos is a mineral that is mined from the ground. The word asbestos is derived from a Greek adjective meaning inextinguishable. The “miracle mineral” as it was referred to by the Greeks, was admired for its soft and pliant properties as well as its ability to withstand heat. Asbestos does not conduct electricity, can withstand temperatures above 2000 Degreed Fahrenheit and is also impervious to most known chemicals. Asbestos is used in building materials as insulation, fire proofing, binders and fillers. Asbestos can still be found in building materials sold today.
BUILDING RENOVATION AND DEMOLITION
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW!
HOMEBUYER WARNING!. Before you buy a home make sure you know if the inspector includes ASBESTOS in his report along with MOLD, RADON, URANIUM MILL TAILINGS, especially in the Mesa County area.
Have the home/structure properly inspected prior to construction material removal! Make sure renovated structures have an asbestos inspection.
Are you Remodeling, Renovating or Demolishing?
You are subject to Colorado State and U.S. Federal Regulations requiring inspection for asbestos. Avoid fines and project delays: have your project inspected for asbestos by a Colorado-certified asbestos building inspector before commencing work. Asbestos can be found in these and other common building materials: Drywall compound and wallboard (sheetrock), ceiling and wall textures, vinyl floor coverings and mastic, boiler and pipe insulation, heating and cooling duct insulation, ceiling tile, roofing products, clapboard shingles, etcetera. These materials are regulated; a certified asbestos inspector can determine which materials contain asbestos and which are reg! ulated. Buildings of any age may contain asbestos; even those newly built may have asbestos-containing materials.
For ALL Renovation Projects:
Colorado LAW Prior to Renovation Work:
• Buildings of any age may contain asbestos; even those newly built may have asbestos containing materials.
• Inspection: the structures/components to be disturbed must be inspected for asbestos by a state-certified asbestos inspector.
• If the amount of asbestos-containing material to be disturbed exceeds the following trigger levels than an abatement contractor must remove the material.
o Trigger levels means amounts of material as follows:
�� With regard to single-family residential dwellings, the trigger levels are 50 linear feet on pipes, 32 square feet on other surfaces, or the volume equivalent of a 55-gallon drum.
�� With regard to all areas other than single-family residential dwellings (commercial), the trigger levels are 260 linear feet on pipes, 160 square feet on other surfaces, or the volume equivalent of a 55-gallon drum.
• A certified removal contractor (General Abatement Contractor) must remove asbestos-containing materials that are regulated or may become regulated before they are disturbed by renovation or demolition activities.
• Notification: A written notification to CDPHE, payment of a notification fee and ten (10) working day waiting period is required before the removal (abatement) of regulated asbestos containing materials.
Demolitions, Destructive Salvage, House Moving
If you demolish, perform destructive salvage, perform de-construction, burn, destroy, dismantle, dynamite, implode, knock down, level, pull down, pulverize, raze, tear down, wreck all of a structure or structural components or you move a house you are subject to State and Federal Regulations even when there is NO asbestos in the facility.
Colorado LAW Prior to Demolition:
• Inspection: the building must be inspected for asbestos by a state-certified asbestos inspector. Contact CDPHE or go to our web site for a current list of Asbestos Inspectors http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/ap/asbeshom.asp or Asbestos Building Inspector Consulting firms can be found in the yellow page section of most telephone books, under the heading “Asbestos Consulting and Testing”.
• Asbestos Removal (if necessary) must be performed by a Colorado-certified General Abatement Contractor. Any asbestos containing material that is friable or will be made friable during demolition activities must be removed prior to demolition. Removal, in accordance with Regulation No. 8, is required if the amount of asbestos-containing material that is friable or will become friable during demolition exceeds the trigger levels.
• Notification of Demolition Form must be submitted to the CDPHE, even if no asbestos was found during the inspection, payment of a notification fee and ten (10) working day waiting period is required before the demolition can proceed.
During Demolition:
• Recycling of materials, such as concrete or wood, that are bonded or contaminated with asbestos-containing material (ACM), such as floor tile or mastic, is NOT permitted.
• Demolition of a building that has non-friable asbestos containing VAT or tar-impregnated roofing materials remaining must be completed without causing the asbestos-containing materials to become friable. Concrete floors covered with floor tile shall be removed in as large sections as possible. Operations such as crushing, pneumatic jacking, etc. of materials containing asbestos are not permitted.
• When imploding or burning a structure, ALL asbestos-containing material, regardless of quantity, must be removed prior to demolition.
It is illegal to improperly disturb asbestos containing materials!
HAVE YOUR PROJECT INSPECTED BY A COLORADO-CERTIFIED ASBESTOS BUILDING INSPECTOR BEFORE YOU BEGIN WORK
Violation of asbestos regulations can result in monetary penalties and project delay as well as civil liability claims related to contamination or asbestos spills.
