Can You Legally Remove Asbestos Yourself?

You’re buying an old house and going to fix it up. You’ve been watching television shows and learning how to do everything from taking down wallpaper to knocking out walls to create an open concept floor plan. You know this old house has good bones and you can’t wait to take it from run down to the talk of the neighborhood!

As you’re going through the final preparations to begin your restoration process, you come across a major problem: Asbestos. Exposure to asbestos can lead to Mesothelioma, Asbestos Lung Cancer, Asbestosis, or other life-threatening illness. If this soon-to-be revamped house was built before the 1980’s it’s very possible that Asbestos is lurking in the attic, pipe wrap, floor tiles, and beyond. Even if the Asbestos hasn’t broken down and caused any problem yet, your remodeling work is sure to do it. Asbestos is known to be a significant threat when it is “friable,” which happens when it is disturbed. 

It’s easy to understand the appeal of investing in an older home. This house is the perfect opportunity to tackle a few DIY projects and renovations to give the place the custom touch you’ve always imagined. Although this can seem like an exciting task ahead, new homeowners too often get ahead themselves without realizing their “new” house may be harboring deadly toxins put in place decades ago. Asbestos removal, also known as Asbestos abatement, is absolutely not a DIY job. Improperly removing damaged Asbestos-based products can send microscopic fibers into the air. Anyone who inhales these fibers could later develop an Asbestos-related disease, like those mentioned above.

Do not panic and try to remove any materials you think are toxic; this will only do more harm than good. Instead, block off the area and avoid any activity, including sweeping or vacuuming, which can exacerbate the situation and cause toxic dust and debris to travel even further throughout the house. Restrict anyone from going near the area until a Bloomfield Asbestos professional can take samples to confirm it contains Asbestos. If the toxin is present and appears to be hazardous, the licensed professional can safely remove the toxin from your home.

There are no federal or state laws that prevent you from removing Asbestos from a private home, although some local laws may prevent you from doing so without proper training. However, even if there are no laws that prevent you from removing Asbestos, doing it yourself could increase the risk of Asbestos exposure and Mesothelioma. It also increases the chance that you won’t get all of it. If this occurs, you will either be living in a home that is making you extremely sick or run into a major problem when trying to “flip” the home and resell it after the renovations are complete.

The EPA recommends that you make sure the company and people you work with are properly licensed and trained. Clean Cut Abatement meets this criteria!