Example Asbestos Removal Projects in Burnsville

Scope of work

One visit by an MDH-certified inspector, eight samples from the wall, ceiling and floor finishes around the three openings, accredited lab results, and a written report that shows where every sample was cut. The framing, new doors and trim are not included.

Project overview

In this example, a Burnsville couple wants to stay in their 1984 townhome after one of them starts using a wheelchair. A carpenter will widen the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen doorways, which means cutting wall board on both sides of each opening and pulling up the vinyl at the bathroom threshold.

The carpenter has a crew on payroll, and an employer has to have the work area surveyed before its people start. Because the townhome went up before October 1988, a letter from the architect or contractor would not replace an inspection. All eight samples come back without asbestos, and the report records where each one was taken.

The goal

The goal is three wider doorways, with a written record of exactly what was sampled around them.

Process

1. First visit An MDH-certified inspector goes door to door with the carpenter and takes eight samples.
2. At the lab Each of the eight samples goes through the accredited lab on its own.
3. About a week later The report arrives, with each sample, its location and its result.
4. Then The couple forwards the report to the carpenter, who sets the dates.

Planning right

• Tell the inspector about every opening, even one planned for later.
• The results apply to the samples taken and the spots they came from, nothing more.
• A new opening somewhere else in the house needs its own samples.
• File the report where you keep the townhome’s purchase papers.

Scope of work

The wall and stair ceiling sampled, MDH notified five days before the start, plastic and negative air on the stair and the living room side, the top of the wall cut out wet, sealed and labeled bags, an air check before the stair opens again and disposal with its manifest. The framing, cap and spindles are extra.

Project overview

In this example, a 1970s split-level in Burnsville has a solid wall that blocks the view from the stair to the living room, and the owners want it opened up. A carpenter will cut it down to rail height beside the half flight and finish it with a wood cap and spindles.

The compound on both faces of that wall comes back positive. A licensed crew seals off the stair, takes the top of the wall down to the studs and bags it as it comes loose. With the stair to the bedrooms closed, the family spends two nights away.

The goal

The goal is open studs at rail height, so the carpenter can build the half wall and the living room opens to the stair.

Process

1. First visit Living room side, stair side and the ceiling over the half flight are all sampled by an MDH-certified inspector.
2. Before work MDH gets the notice, and the carpenter snaps a chalk line where the cut will go.
3. Day one Stair and living room side under plastic, everything above the line cut out wet and bagged.
4. Day two Stair wall area wiped down, an air check done, the plastic rolled up and bagged.

Planning right

• Mark the cut line before the crew comes, so only that section is opened.
• Plan to sleep elsewhere while the stair to the bedrooms is closed.
• The lower part of the wall can simply be repainted.
• Get the air check results in writing before the carpenter starts.

Scope of work

Tiles, tape and boot wrap sampled, MDH notified five days before the start, the family room closed in plastic under negative air, the tape and wrap soaked and cut away, sealed and labeled bags, air samples while the plastic is still up, then the haul with its manifest. Resealing the duct seams and the paint are extra.

Project overview

In this example, a Burnsville family wants more headroom in the lower-level family room of their 1970s house. The plan is to take out the old drop ceiling and spray the joists, pipes and ducts one dark color.

The ceiling tiles test clear, so the remodeler can take them down. The white tape on the duct seams and the wrap on the register boots test positive, and paint would only cover them. A licensed crew takes them off before the painter starts, and the heating contractor reseals the seams.

The goal

The goal is bare ducts with fresh seams, so the painter sprays the open ceiling in one pass.

Process

1. First visit An MDH-certified inspector climbs a ladder at three spots and samples tile, tape and wrap.
2. Before work MDH gets the notice; meanwhile the remodeler pulls the clear tiles and the metal grid.
3. Day one The room goes under plastic, and the tape and boot wrap are soaked and cut away.
4. Day two Ducts and joists wiped down, air samples taken, the plastic bagged.

Planning right

• Leave the ceiling grid in place until the tiles have a lab result.
• Turn the furnace off during the work and back on after the air samples.
• Ask the heating contractor to reseal the seams before anything is painted.
• A dark paint color hides less than you think, so get the seams smooth first.

Scope of work

Separate samples of tile and adhesive, MDH notified five days before the start, the basement closed in plastic with the stair door sealed, the tile and mastic taken up wet, sealed and labeled bags, a HEPA vacuum of the slab, air samples and disposal with its manifest. The grinding and the epoxy are extra.

Project overview

In this example, a woodworker in a 1960s house in Burnsville wants a hard, easy-to-sweep floor in the basement shop and rec room. The coating crew grinds the slab before the epoxy goes on, and a grinder run over old tile would turn it to dust.

The tile and the adhesive both test positive. A licensed crew takes every tile up and scrapes the adhesive wet, so the coating crew starts on bare concrete with nothing left to grind through.

The goal

The goal is a bare slab, so the grinder never touches old tile and the epoxy bonds to clean concrete.

Process

1. First visit Two small cuts from the workshop floor by an MDH-certified inspector, plus a tape measure run across the whole basement.
2. Before work MDH gets the notice, and the workbench, tools and lumber move to the garage.
3. Day one Plastic up, every tile lifted into bags, the adhesive kept wet as it is scraped.
4. Day two The slab vacuumed and wiped, air samples taken, the bags loaded for the landfill.

Planning right

• Move the shop out before the crew arrives, so the whole floor comes up in one setup.
• Tell the coating crew the slab is bare before they quote the grinding.
• Let the concrete dry fully before the epoxy goes down.
• Store the manifest in the same folder as the air sample report.

Scope of work

Texture and attic insulation sampled, MDH notified five days before the start, both rooms emptied and closed in plastic under negative air, the light fixtures removed, the texture misted and scraped into sealed bags, a clean of every surface, clearance air samples and the manifest for disposal. The framing, drywall and insulation work for the vault are extra.

Project overview

In this example, a couple in Prior Lake wants a vaulted ceiling in their 1970s one-story house, over the living and dining rooms. Their builder will take down the flat ceiling and frame a new one that follows the roof.

Lab results show asbestos in the texture of both rooms and none in the insulation above. Before the builder pulls a single sheet, a licensed crew seals both rooms, keeps the texture damp and scrapes it down to the bare board.

The goal

The goal is bare ceiling board in both rooms, so the builder takes the flat ceiling down and frames the vault.

Process

1. First visit An MDH-certified inspector samples each ceiling and climbs into the attic for the insulation.
2. Before work MDH gets the notice; the sofa and dining table go to the bedrooms, and the light fixtures come off.
3. Days one and two Living and dining rooms under one plastic enclosure, the texture kept damp and scraped down.
4. Day three Board and floor cleaned, air samples taken, then the enclosure comes down.

Planning right

• Ask the builder to wait for the air samples before taking down the ceiling.
• Hallway and bedroom ceilings that stay can keep their texture undisturbed.
• Plan the new insulation with the vault framing, not before.
• Give the builder a copy of the air sample results.

Scope of work

Everything the survey found positive comes out. The scope is about 1,100 sq ft of ceiling texture, about 140 sq ft of kitchen sheet vinyl and the tape on the furnace ducts, with the MDH notice, sealed and labeled bags, air samples and the manifests. The survey, the permit and the wrecking are not included.

Project overview

In this example, a family in Savage buys a 1970s house to take down and replace with a one-level home that has a suite for a parent. The whole house is surveyed first, and the ceilings, the kitchen floor and the furnace duct tape come back positive.

Savage’s demolition permit application has an asbestos line under Hazardous Materials, where the owners name the contractor disposing of it and the disposal site. Its checklist also says to send MPCA a Notification of Intent to Perform a Demolition 10 days before applying for the city permit. MPCA’s own ten-working-day notice rule leaves out houses of four units or less, unless the house was converted from another use, is one of several demolished by the same owner, or is part of an urban renewal, highway or commercial development project. A licensed crew has everything out at least two days before the wrecking date.

The goal

The goal is an empty shell the wrecking crew can take down as ordinary debris, with the city paperwork in order for the new home.

Process

1. First visit An MDH-certified inspector samples the house room by room, then the exterior and the roof.
2. Paperwork The MPCA notification sent 10 days before the city application, as the checklist asks, and the asbestos line filled in.
3. Removal days MDH notified, then the ceilings, kitchen vinyl and duct tape removed inside sealed work areas.
4. Last step Manifests and air results filed with the demolition papers, then the wrecking date is set.

Planning right

• Read the city application and its checklist early, since the MPCA step comes before you apply.
• Keep the survey, the manifests and the air sample report in one folder.
• If a shed or detached garage is coming down too, have the inspector include it.
• Leave at least two clear days between the end of removal and the wrecking date.

Scope of work

We survey the trash and recycling rooms and send the notices to MPCA and MDH. The chute is closed and both rooms are sealed off from the hall. Tile and mastic come up wet, right down to the slab, and go into sealed, labeled bags. Air clearance comes before the rooms reopen, and the waste is hauled under a manifest. The compactor, its anchor bolts and new flooring are other contracts.

Project overview

In this example, a Burnsville landlord with a 1970s apartment building is replacing the open bins under the trash chute with a compactor. The compactor is bolted to the slab, and the worn tile in the trash and recycling rooms is coming out for a sealed floor that is easy to hose down.

The tile and its mastic test positive in both rooms. The building has more than four units, so MPCA is notified ten working days ahead, with a separate notice to MDH. The chute doors on every floor are locked for two days, and tenants use bins set out by the parking lot while a licensed crew clears the floor.

The goal

The goal is a bare slab in both rooms, so the compactor is anchored and the new floor goes down without touching old tile.

Process

1. First visit An MDH-certified inspector samples both rooms while the bins are pulled out for the day.
2. Before work Notices go to MPCA and MDH, and letters tell tenants where to take trash during the work.
3. Day one Chute closed, both rooms sealed from the hall, the tile lifted and the mastic taken up wet.
4. Day two The slab cleaned, air clearance passed, and the rooms handed to the compactor installer.

Planning right

• Lock the chute doors on every floor for the days of the work.
• Set out temporary bins and tell tenants where they are.
• Keep the survey report with the building’s maintenance records.
• The compactor truck should come once clearance results are back.