Asbestos
Removal Procedures for Home Owners
How to Properly
Remove Asbestos-Containing Spray-on Textured Ceilings
IMPORTANT: Read these procedures from start to finish, making sure you thoroughly
understand them, before any asbestos abatement is undertaken.
The following links
are to specific subjects within this document. We recommend the whole
document be studied carefully before undertaking any asbestos removal
project in your home. For printable copy of ceiling removal Print
Note: This publication by the Division of Air Quality is limited to the
removal of spray-on ceilings in single family, owner-occupied residential
dwellings by the owners themselves. State and Federal regulations
require specific work practices and worker training for persons performing
asbestos removal projects in all other situations.
Before
You Begin
Are you sure
your ceiling contains asbestos?
Not all spray-on,
textured ceilings contain asbestos. To know for sure, submit a small
sample for laboratory analysis. Cost is minimal. Laboratories
are listed in the yellow pages under "Asbestos - Consulting and Testing." A list of local laboratories may also
be obtained by contacting the Division of Air Quality at 536-4000.
(Return
to Table of Contents)
Use a spray bottle
to thoroughly wet three or four small ceiling areas with water mixed
with a few drops of liquid detergent. Using a putty knife, take a
composite sample by carefully scraping about one square inch of spray-on
from each wetted area into a zip-lock plastic bag. If the laboratory
results are negative, meaning less than 1 percent asbestos was found
in the sample, take two additional samples to confirm the analysis.
If you decide
not to check for asbestos, assume the ceiling contains asbestos and
treat it accordingly.
If so, are you
sure you want to remove it?
Remember, asbestos
is a problem only if fibers are released into the air. Asbestos-containing,
spray-on ceilings that are in good repair and are not being disturbed
will not release asbestos fibers. Hence, the safest, easiest and least
expensive option may be to leave it alone. Sometimes it is possible
to work around asbestos without removing it. For example, spray-on ceilings
that are in good condition can usually be painted with a thin coat of
latex paint (spraying with an airless sprayer is recommended). However,
be aware that painting these ceilings may prevent you from safely removing
them in the future. Do-it-yourself removal is highly dependant on your
ability to thoroughly wet this material before disturbing it. Painting
can seal the spray-on material, making it difficult or impossible to
wet.
Words
of Caution
The Utah
Division of Air Quality assumes no liability or responsibility for
damage, injuries, illness or related health problems arising from
your performing an asbestos removal project. You assume all risks
involved.
(Return
to Table of Contents)
You are liable!
Your
only legal options in having asbestos removed from your home are to
hire a certified abatement contractor or to do the work yourself. The law prohibits you from hiring anyone other than a certified asbestos
contractor to perform asbestos removal work. Family members and friends
may participate legally, provided they do so on a voluntary, no-pay
basis. Be advised that the removal procedures described in this publication
are intended to help homeowners minimize health risks associated with
"do-it-yourself" asbestos removals. However, it should be understood
that removing asbestos from your home can be dangerous. Some release
of asbestos fibers into the air is unavoidable and there are no known
safe levels of asbestos exposure.
Be aware that
no set of instructions can address all possible situations and variables
that a home owner may encounter in an asbestos removal project. In
this publication, we have tried to address the more common and most
important issues involved in removing spray-on ceilings.
Particularly challenging
projects should not be undertaken by the home owner. If
you are not confident in your ability to safely perform the asbestos
removal, the Division of Air Quality recommends that you abandon the
"do-it-yourself" approach and hire a
certified asbestos abatement contractor. (Return
to Table of Contents)
The
work will be difficult.
It is important to
note that even under the best of circumstances, home owner performed
asbestos projects can be physically demanding and potentially dangerous.
- Breathing
through a respirator is more difficult than normal breathing and
places an additional stress on the heart and lungs. A physician
should be consulted before anyone performs strenuous work while
wearing a respirator.
- Protective
clothing can be hot and uncomfortable.
- Work spaces
become very humid due to the water used in wetting the asbestos.
- Eye protection
often results in reduced visibility.
- Caution must
be taken with wiring and electrical power because water is used
to wet the asbestos.
The work may
cause damage.
These procedures
may result in damage to walls and ceilings. Duct tape can discolor wood
paneling, tear wallpaper and remove paint and texture. Water may stain
walls and damage floors. Using metal scrapers on wetted plasterboard
ceilings may result in tearing of the plasterboard paper.
If your ceiling
has been painted...
If your spray-on
ceiling has been painted, you may not be able to penetrate the paint
with water to thoroughly wet the asbestos-containing material prior
to disturbance. Thorough wetting is critical for preventing the release
of asbestos fibers during removal. Try one or more tests to determine
if you can penetrate the paint layer to thoroughly wet the material
prior to disturbance. Use a plastic spray bottle containing a teaspoon
or less of liquid detergent (wetting agent) in water. Spray water over
a few square inches of ceiling, allowing up to 15 to 20 minutes for
the water to soak in. Re-spray several times during this period. Then
scrape off the material carefully with a small putty knife, catching
the debris on a piece of sheet plastic in your other hand. Examine the
removed material carefully for wetness.
Dispose of the
debris by carefully wrapping it in the plastic, sealing it with duct
tape and placing it in the garbage. If the removed material was not
thoroughly wet, try increasing the number of spray applications, the
amount of wetting agent used and times for soaking in, to determine
the best way to achieve the maximum wetting of your spray-on material.
If, after trying various spray procedures, you are unable to get water
through the paint in order to saturate the spray-on material to the
ceiling substrate, do not undertake this project. Leave
the ceiling alone or hire a certified
asbestos abatement contractor to do the work. If you remove the
ceiling dry, you will contaminate your home with asbestos and expose
yourself and your family to potentially high concentrations of airborne
asbestos fibers. (Return to Table of
Contents)
Removal Procedures
Basic
Rules
- Worker
Protection: During removal, you will need to protect yourself
from breathing or spreading asbestos fibers by wearing an appropriate
respirator, disposable coveralls, disposable gloves, and rubber
boots.
- Wetting: Wetting is critical to asbestos fiber control. Before, during and
after removal, asbestos materials should be thoroughly saturated
with water in order to keep asbestos fibers out of the air. once
removed, asbestos debris should be kept wet until packaged and sealed
for disposal.
- Containment: You will need to contain your asbestos debris by constructing a
plastic containment around the ceiling areas you wish to remove.
This is accomplished by covering walls and floors within the project
room or rooms to ensure all debris is captured and remains on plastic
sheeting during removal.
Personnel
and supplies
Workers
It is recommended
that three workers perform the job.
Two should perform
the work and a third should be "standing by" outside the work area
to provide water, tools and other supplies as needed while work is
in progress. This will minimize the need for removal workers to remove
disposable clothing and put on new for each exit and entrance to the
work area.
Protective equipment
and clothing
Before beginning
your project, you will need to obtain the following items:
- Respirators: Half-face, dual cartridge respirators, each equipped with a pair
of HEPA filters (color coded purple). Request from the vendor a
fit test to ensure a proper fit and instruction on performing a
check of the respirator seal prior to each use. Respirators provide
little protection if they do not fit properly. Respirators must
be worn continually by each person within the containment.
Note: Persons
with beards cannot be adequately fitted with this type of respirator
and should not work within the containment.
- Coveralls: Several pairs of disposable coveralls with built-in booties should
be purchased. Oversized coveralls make it easier to move around.
One pair will be needed for each entry into the containment area.
Every time a worker leaves the containment area during a removal
project, coveralls should be disposed of in a properly sealed asbestos
waste bag. This will help ensure all asbestos debris remains on
plastic.
- Rubber
Boots: Laceless, pull-on rubber boots without fasteners will
protect coverall booties so they do not wear through. Rubber boots
can be washed off later or disposed of as contaminated debris.
- Eye protection: Each worker within the containment area should wear non-fogging
goggles.
- Rubber
gloves: Several pairs of durable, disposable rubber gloves should
be purchased. Rubber gloves should be worn by each person in the
containment area. Every time a worker leaves the containment area,
these gloves should be disposed of in an asbestos disposal bag.
A new pair of gloves should be worn with each re-entry into the
containment area.
Tools
and Supplies
- Tank sprayer(2-3
gallons): This will be your means of wetting spray-on ceiling
materials.
- Liquid
dish washing detergent: Mixed at one cup per five gallons of
water for best wetting results.
- Wallboard
taping or "putty" knives and a dust pan: The best sizes of knives
for scraping have four to eight-inch blades. The dust pan is for
catching the spray-on material as it is removed and placing it in
the asbestos waste bag.
- Step ladder: A six foot or taller aluminum or fiberglass ladder should be used
when hanging the containment and during removal. Chairs and shorter
ladders are not recommended. Remember that you will be wearing goggles,
coveralls and rubber boots which limit vision and mobility.
- Polyethylene
plastic sheeting(poly): This will be used to create containment
areas. You will need enough 2 or 3 mil sheeting to cover 1.5 times
the area of the walls and enough 6 mil sheeting to cover 3 times
the area of the floors.
- Asbestos
waste disposal bags: These bags will be used for containing
asbestos contaminated debris and materials. The bags should be sized
33 inches by 50 inches and made of 6 mil polyethylene. Each should
be pre-printed with required asbestos warnings. Assume you will
need at least four bags per 100 square feet of ceiling to be removed.
- Duct tape: Numerous rolls will be used in building the containment area and
in sealing waste bags.
- Clean,
disposable rags: A large supply should be on hand for assorted
removal and clean-up purposes.
- Encapsulants: These could be latex primer paint or an approved latex asbestos
sealing product. They will be used for sealing areas after the spray-on
material has been removed.
Note: Asbestos-specific
equipment and materials may be purchased from safety equipment vendors
listed under "Safety Equipment and Clothing" in the Yellow Pages.
Prep
Work
First things
first
- Post signs
warning "drop-in" friends, family and other visitors of the work
taking place.
- Remove all
furniture from the room(s) where the spray-on removal is to take
place.
- Turn off heating/air
conditioning systems and seal the vents with poly and duct tape.
If the vents are mounted on the ceiling, wait until the containment
is constructed to remove the vent covers.
- Turn off all
electrical power to ceiling fixtures in the project area at the
breaker box. Even though the light switch is turned off, there are
often live wires at the light fixture.
- If lighting
is required to conduct the project, it should be wired to a circuit
outside the removal area and protected with a Ground Fault Circuit
Interrupt (GFCI) outlet.
Build
a containment area.
- Throughout
the area of the house where the spray-on ceiling is to be removed,
cover the floors with 6 mil poly. Place the sheets so that they
overlap room edges by about a foot. Run the extra foot of sheeting
up the wall and tape the edges there securely. Make sure there is
plenty of excess poly - do not pull tight - so that the poly will
not pull away from the walls when you are working near the edge
of the room. Tightly seal all seams between sheets of poly with
duct tape. If spray-on removal is going to take place in areas that
are joined by halls or spaces where no removal is to take place,
lay a layer of 6 mil poly sheeting on the floor to create a path
on which to walk between containment areas.
- Hang
2 or 3 mil poly sheeting on the walls within approximately one inch
of the ceiling, forming a tight seal with duct tape. Make sure the
sheets overlap and extend to the floor. Seal all wall seams with
duct tape. To minimize damage to wall paper, consider using slender
finishing nails to secure a piece of molding to the top of the wall,
and tape the poly wall sheets to the wood strip.
- Lay a second
layer of 6 mil poly sheeting on the floor. In larger rooms, install
the second layer in pieces of 100-120 square feet. Lay the plastic
in a loose, overlapping manner without using tape or adhesive.
- Construct poly
isolation walls in doorways or room openings, if necessary, to separate
the work area from the rest of the house. Create an entrance/exit
to the work area, by cutting a five to six foot vertical slit in
a poly isolation wall and then taping a floor-length poly flap over
the slit on the inside of the containment area.
- Once you have
completed the poly containment, make sure the entire area where
removal is to take place is isolated with poly sheeting. The only
exposed surface within the containment should be the ceiling and
about an inch or less of the wall below the ceiling. This ensures
that all asbestos material is contained during removal.
- If there is
a door to the outside within the containment area, make this your
point of entry/exit from the work area. Open the door and seal the
door way with 6 mil poly sheeting. Create an entrance/exit through
the poly by cutting a vertical slit as described above and covering
it on the inside with a poly flap. Then lay a sheet of 6 mil poly
outside the door. At a minimum, have a water spray bottle, clean,
wet rags and an asbestos waste disposal bag at this location. If
there is no exit door to the outside within the containment, create
an entrance/exit within the house, either through a door or through
an isolation wall as described above. Create a secondary containment
or air-lock at the entrance/exit by constructing a wooden frame
approximately four feet by five feet at the base and six to seven
feet high. Completely enclose the interior of the box with 2 or
3 mil poly on the sides and top and 6 mil poly on the floor. Make
flap doors on the air-lock as described above and seal one side
to the containment area. All entrance and exit to the containment
should be through this air-lock. All contaminated equipment and
clothing must be left within the air-lock. At a minimum, have a
water spray bottle, clean, wet rags and an asbestos waste disposal
bag at this location.
- Windows may
be opened for ventilation. However, take precautions to prevent
the escape of visible emissions to the outside air. Construct and
tape an oversized poly flap or canopy over the inside of each open
window to ensure no debris passes through the windows.
- Remove all
ceiling mounted light fixtures, smoke alarms, etc. After removal,
seal exposed wires with electrical tape. Be careful not to disturb
the spray-on materials during these activities.
Put
on protective clothing and equipment.
Those who will enter
the containment area to do the work should put on disposable coveralls
outside the containment area while standing on the entrance/exit poly
or within the air-lock. They should then put on gloves, goggles and
respirators equipped with HEPA filters. If the coveralls are equipped
with a hood, be sure to put the respirator head straps on underneath
the hood. Tape your gloves to your disposable coverall sleeves around
the wrist to ensure your arms and wrists remain covered (be sure to
leave a folded tab at the end of the duct tape around your wrist, without
the tab, removal with gloved fingers is very difficult). Seal the top
of the rubber boots with duct tape to keep out ceiling material as it
falls.
Wet
the ceiling.
- If your
spray-on ceiling was painted, use the wetting process determined
to be successful in earlier tests. Apply the water plus wetting
agent with a tank sprayer. However, if in the process described
earlier, you were unable to saturate the spray-on material
to the ceiling substrate, do not undertake this project.
Leave the ceiling alone or hire an asbestos abatement contractor
to do the work.
- If your
spray-on ceiling was never painted, spray the ceiling with
wetting agent and water using the tank sprayer. Spray the
ceiling material several times with water and ensure the
material is thoroughly wet before removal. Spray-on material
is very porous and absorbs a lot of water. Thorough wetting
will keep asbestos fibers out of the air.
- Wait
15 to 20 minutes for the water to thoroughly penetrate.
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Note: If someone is not available outside the containment to refill sprayers,
you may need a hose with automatic shut-off at the entrance to the
enclosure to refill the tank sprayer(s).
Test
for wetness.
Once inside the containment
area, test for wetness by scraping off a few inches of ceiling material.
If it is thoroughly wet to the plasterboard or other ceiling substrate,
you are ready to begin removing. If the material is not thoroughly wet,
re-apply water and allow time for it to soak in.
Again, if you
find you are unable to thoroughly wet the material, do not proceed! Use a certified asbestos abatement
contractor to perform additional work.
Note: If
you must leave the containment area during the project, wet down the
protective clothing with the spray bottle. Clean off the rubber boots,
goggles and respirator with clean wet rags. Remove the clothing while
standing on the poly just outside the entry/exit or within the air-lock.
Place the coveralls and gloves in a waste disposal bag. Remove the
respirator only after equipment has been cleaned and clothing has
been sealed in the waste bag. Then step off the poly or out of the
air-lock. Upon returning, put on new coveralls and gloves.
Taking
down the spray-on ceiling
- Cushion
ladder legs by wrapping them with rags or a similar material,
thereby preventing them from penetrating the poly sheeting
on the floor.
- Using
four to eight-inch putty or wallboard taping knives, thoroughly
scrape the spray-on material from the ceiling, catching the
material as you scrape with the dust pan. Place the scraped
material into an asbestos waste bag.
- Wipe
any remaining residue off with clean wet rags. Turn the rags
frequently so you are wiping with a clean surface. Otherwise,
remaining asbestos material will be smeared around and not
removed. If the ceiling beneath the spray-on was painted,
the wet wiping is very effective. With unfinished sheet rock,
wiping is helpful but is less effective. Do not try to
rinse and re-use contaminated rags. Dispose of them in
an asbestos waste disposal bag.
- Use clean
rags to wipe the exposed portion of the walls between the
poly sheeting and the ceiling.
- Keep
the poly on the floors and walls wet at all times by periodically
spraying them to prevent any debris from drying and becoming
airborne.
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Cleaning
Up
Remove debris
from the floor.
- After you
have removed all of the spray-on ceiling material in one room within
the containment area, seal the asbestos waste bags containing the
removed material and contaminated rags. Waste bags are sealed by
gathering the top of the bag, twisting it, and wrapping with duct
tape; and then folding the twisted, taped portion over, taping it
again to form a goose neck.
- Carefully fold
and roll up the top layer of loose plastic sheets to contain fallen
debris. Bag the folded poly, along with the debris it contains,
into asbestos waste disposal bags.
- Thoroughly
wipe down all tools and ladders with clean, wet rags. Place the
cleaned equipment on the poly sheet outside the entry/exit or within
the air-lock. Dispose of rags as asbestos debris.
- Before you
remove any poly sheets that are taped to the walls and floor, encapsulate
those ceiling areas from which spray-on material has been removed.
Roll on or spray these areas with a latex primer or an approved
latex asbestos encapsulant. In spite of your best efforts, some
asbestos fibers will remain on your ceiling. These fibers will be
encapsulated by the paint primer or other spray application.
- Double bag
the asbestos waste by placing each asbestos waste bag into another
bag and sealing the second bag with a goose neck as above. Place
the sealed bags outside the containment, being careful not to contaminate
the outside of the bag.
Note: If your spray-on ceiling was applied as part of original construction,
the ceiling was likely never finished for painting. Thus, even if
you did no damage during the spray-on removal, you will likely need
to refinish or re-texture the ceiling before painting. Under
no circumstances should you sand ceilings after removal of spray-on
material. This will result in asbestos fibers being released
into the air.
Remove
the poly containment.
- Spray poly
walls and floors with water one last time, making sure any visible
asbestos debris is thoroughly wet.
- Beginning
at the point most distant from your containment entrance/exit,
remove all poly sheeting. First, peel the poly off the walls and
lower them onto the floor. Then carefully roll up the poly on
the floor, being careful that all debris remains within the poly.
Work backwards toward your exit. Stay on the poly flooring at
all times during this process. In larger rooms it may be necessary
to bag the wall poly separately to avoid making a bundle too large
to bag.
- Double bag
each roll of contaminated poly inside asbestos waste bags and
seal with a goose neck as described above.
Decontamination
- Make sure
that you dismantle and bag the containment area in such a way
that the last piece of poly upon which you are standing is the
poly you placed on the ground outside the entrance/exit or within
the air-lock.
- Thoroughly
clean all equipment of all visible residue with clean, wet rags.
Before storing equipment, it should be washed again outside with
a garden hose.
- While standing
on the last piece of poly sheeting, or within the air-lock, spray
yourself (or each other) with water to wet down any asbestos debris/fibers
on the outside of your respirator and disposable coveralls. Spray
the walls of the air-lock.
- Remove boots.
You may either thoroughly clean the boots with wet rags and set
them aside or, if you do not wish to keep them, place them inside
and asbestos waste bag.
- Thoroughly
clean goggles and the outside of respirator (while wearing the
respirator) with wet rags.
- If an air-lock
was used within the house, step out onto the entrance/exit poly.
Collapse the poly ceiling and walls as you did in the containment.
Fold the air-lock poly and place it in an asbestos waste bag.
- While on
the poly sheeting, remove your disposable gloves and coveralls
by peeling them off and turning them inside out as they are removed.
Step off the last poly sheet.
- Remove respirators
and take out their filters. Discard the filters with other asbestos
waste. Perform final cleaning of respirators, goggles and other
equipment using clean, wet rags and place used rags in asbestos
waste bag.
- Double bag
remaining disposable items including remaining poly sheet by rolling
from edges and placing in asbestos waste bag. Use wet rags for
any future clean-up. Never attempt to vacuum or sweep up asbestos
debris. Seal and double bag as outlined above.
-
Take a shower.
Disposal
Asbestos
waste from an asbestos project may be disposed of only at landfills
approved by the Division of Air Quality to accept asbestos waste. The location and phone numbers of
such sites may be obtained by calling 801-536-4000.
All asbestos
waste must be transported and disposed of in double sealed waste
containers with the appropriate asbestos label. You must write your
last name and address where the waste was generated on each container
prior to removal from your home.
The asbestos
waste must be transported in a manner that will not permit the release
of asbestos fibers into the air. Asbestos debris should be transported
in a covered vehicle.
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