by David Riel

Created on: April 22, 2007

The very best way to deal with asbestos removal may be not to remove it at all. Many asbestos products are not harmful if left undisturbed, and in fact, can perform quite well. This can save on removal costs, and also the cost of disposing of the asbestos-containing materials.

Shingles containing asbestos were commonly used as siding materials on residential houses. These had the tremendous advantage of being impermeable to water vapor, so, unlike, wood siding, could go many years without the need of repainting them. This was especially useful on older homes without vapor barriers where the paint would constantly lift off the old siding. An added bonus is the fact that they're fire-proof.

For old asbestos-containing shingles the simplest solution is just to leave them on and paint them. The shingles are inert, and the asbestos they contain is harmless if they are undisturbed. And, unlike residing with aluminum or vinyl, you can choose any color you like. Of course, if go back to wood, you'll be left with the same problem of paint peeling that the original owners used them to cure.

The same can be said of asbestos-containing flooring. Often these can be left safely in place and will still provide many years of service if they are undisturbed. The asbestos fibers are held inert in the flooring and do no harm as they cannot become airborne and inhaled.

So before you remove asbestos-containing materials see if you really have to. You may save a lot of work, risk, money, and space at your local landfill.

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