How much for Asbestos Removal

Bluefusion

THe 1930's house we are loking to buy has a small kitchen lard about the size of a phonebox. We were planning to knock this out to make the small kitchen bigger, but had been advised that the lard has Asbestos lining on the walls that would need to be removed.

Anyone have anything similar done, and an idea of costings to have this safely removed and disposed of?

silvercar

I have been quoted £600 for the removal of asbestos sheets on a (single) garage roof.

TJ27

Asbestos is one of those things that people are really troubled by. A few years ago I had to remove an asbestos sheet roof from my shed. I phoned the council for advice. They told me to wet the roof with a hose pipe, very carefully take out the fixings, place the sheets on the kerbside and the council would pick them up free of charge. This I did and it didn't cost me a bean.

Yes you need to be very careful, yes you need to wear protective clothing and get a good mask. The main thing NOT to do is release particles by breaking it up.

Phone your local council landfill site for advice before doing anything. Some will offer a free asbestos collection service. My local council has a special asbestos waste skip at one of their depots, where people are allowed to take their asbestos. I think you might have to put it in special bags beforehand though.

You might be told that it's a specialist job. And of course jobs which are percieved to be specialist tend to cost a fortune.

Commercial asbestos removal is extremely pricey. However, councils know full well that if they don't make it easy for householders to dispose of asbestos properly and cheaply, some will stick it in a van and dump it in a quiet lane. (But please don't do this! Give them a call.)

elDeeJay

In the same situation as TJ27 right now. Our garage is soon to be demolished, but the survey informed us it was asbestos. Had us really worried until I rang the council, who told me the same - wet it with a hose-pipe, take it down while still damp (so no particles will disperse), DOUBLE bag it in thick plastic bags and take it to our local refuse center where they have a special container.
We have to sign a disclaimer at the gates (not sure why yet), but it wont cost us a penny to get rid of.

I too thought it would be an additional expense, but its really not a big deal if done properly.

Ring your local council and find the nearest disposal station and DIY FOC!


HTH

silvercar

Its not until you start dismantling that you will find out if the sheets can be removed intact. Personally, I wouldn't take the risk, but if you are sure you can dismantle without breaking up the sheets it is possible to do.

Bluefusion

Thanks for your help. I rang 3 local companies all of which estimated £1,000 to removal the aspestos, and some claiming that Asbestos residue might remain, an it would be better to take out the whole lard at a total cost of £1,500 + VAT.

I think I might need to ring around for a few more quotes. We have a young baby in the house, so I do not want to risk DIY on this. But thanks for the advice.

TJ27

Bluefusion wrote:

Thanks for your help. I rang 3 local companies all of which estimated £1,000 to removal the aspestos, and some claiming nthe Asbestos reidue might remain, an it would be better to take out the whole lard at a total cost of £1,500 + VAT.

Well they would, wouldn't they.

Still, if you're concerned and have a young child, peace of mind is worth paying for.

mi-key

If you consider how nasty asbestos is, I would always pay someone who knows what they are dealing with to come in and do it - is your health ( and possibly your life ) worth risking for the sake of £1000 - £2000 ?