Rehab with Asbestos siding...What can you do - Posted by MDMRealty

Posted by Chris in FL on March 15, 2006 at 13:36:03:

Fits exactly with my experience. I own multiple homes with asbestos shingle siding (99% sure that is what you are talking about). Entire neighborhoods like that built here about 50 years ago. I was told by local officials that, left alone, the stuff is fine. I can go over it with paint, vinyl siding, whatever. However, should I choose to disturb it, I must hire asbestos removal professionals (which I was told would be very expensive). If the quote you have is a legitimate, autorized asbestos removal person (that sounds very cheap), and doesn’t have hidden add-ons, then it doesn’t sound cost prohibitive to remove it if that is what you want to do. Good luck with your decision.

Rehab with Asbestos siding…What can you do - Posted by MDMRealty

Posted by MDMRealty on March 13, 2006 at 19:06:17:

Has anyone ever messed with this stuff (Asbestos). I have a 3Bd, 1Ba that has been on the market through HUD. What can you do with the siding. Do you have to remove it or can you put siding over it to contain it.

Property is for sell at $34,000, I can fix it for maybe $7,000 or $8,000 It should be worth close to $60,000 or $65,000. Just needs some TLC.

Please help. Thanks in advance.

MDM

Re: Rehab with Asbestos siding…What can you do - Posted by Mark(wv)

Posted by Mark(wv) on March 17, 2006 at 19:34:42:

I’ve been on all sides of the stuff, from removal and hiding in gabage bags to legal removal to siding over it.
The cost mentioned is about right. I just demoed 48 houses for the city, most had siding, all were removed in a legal fashion and refuse taken to a legal dump site (and dumped in a very large bag from a sealed truck on to the ground beside regular garbage and covered with dirt with a dozer which busted said sealed bag and mixed content with everything else) TOTAL cost for remitation was $62,000. I furnished the truck and driver.
I covered 2 houses that were repo’s and had asb.siding cost was $3200 time 2 days w/3 men.
I also did one the Johnny Cash method ie. 1 bag at a time in with the regular trash. Cost to dump $0.00, time was 3 months ,labor 1 very agravated wife , so as mentioned it’s better if possible to leave it on and go over top

Asbestos siding removal…What I did - Posted by Rick Harmon (CA)

Posted by Rick Harmon (CA) on March 13, 2006 at 22:19:41:

I just completed one; exact same problem. Possible exception was I didn’t catch the stuff on the acquisition side (I stopped looking at properties before I buy years ago because they’re all junky).

It was the City that told me about the problem and actually shut down the renovation job site until the stuff was remediated. Apparently, they have employees with enough spare time on their hands to go around checking for this kind of stuff.

The good news was that I found a reputable, licensed, bond haz mat remediation company in a nearby county (San Bernardino, CA) that charged $2,400 total for removal, permits, haulaway and documentation. The city did not offer me any choice about leaving it and trying to be clever.

Hope this helps

Siding over top… - Posted by JT-IN

Posted by JT-IN on March 13, 2006 at 21:55:52:

MDM:

Asbestos siding is what is called “solid or encapsulated” and unlike airborn particles of flaking asbestos, the solid form doesn’t create a hazard… if left alone. If you remove the asbestos siding, the dust that is created, (dust that is unseen) is hazardous to the workman who might be removing the product…

So the best thing to do is to install furring strips atop the asbestos siding, and side over it… Not a probelm to do at all… The only recommendation is when any workman are drilling or nailing into the siding, to attach strips, they should wear some respiratory protection. They should seek some expert advice on what amount of protection is adequate here… and probably not a paper mask either.

JT-IN

Re: Rehab with Asbestos siding… - Posted by dealmaker

Posted by dealmaker on March 13, 2006 at 21:39:56:

I’m NOT a real expert on this, the problem is that the “experts” are likely to be people in the asbestos removal business, who obviously have an axe to grind: but, here’s what I heard from a builder/rehabber who really knows his stuff. LEAVE THE STUFF IN PLACE. It’s not hurting anything or anyone where it is.

There’s probably subdivisions built in the '50s where every house has asbestos siding. Taking it off would probably cause more harm than leaving it up.

dealmaker

Re: Asbestos siding removal…What I did - Posted by Joe

Posted by Joe on March 14, 2006 at 11:29:45:

Wow, that’s much less that I would have imagined. How big was the house/siding area? How long did it take?