Asbestos Removal
Asbestos Removal
We have provided asbestos removal in Phoenix for 25 years with knowledge and dedication to providing the most professional work ethics in the industry with competitive pricing. We show up on time and get the job done with no hassle to you. We’ve completed thousands of jobs with truly satisfied customers in the Phoenix-Metropolitan area and around Arizona.
Our key employees have been with us for 25 years. Over 85% of our business is from repeat and referrals. The asbestos removal we have provided Phoenix and the State includes the removal of asbestos in flooring, mastics, roofing, popcorn ceiling texture, fireproofing, duct tape, drywall, asbestos cement pipe and many others.
Our clients range from homeowners, hospitals, hotels, motels, apartments, churches, schools, mines, building owners, and others. Our team is highly experienced and knowledgeable in the most current methods for the abatement of asbestos. We meet our time frames and keep the client informed of our progress. All our workers are AHERA Trained and Certified, and get annual refresher classes to keep up with current regulations, technologies and methods. We follow all OSHA and EPA Rules and Regulations.
We take safety seriously, and this is shown by our E-Mod of .83. This is the lowest workers compensation rate possible. An E-Mod of 1.00 means your accident and incident rate is at the standard rate. If your rate is higher than 1.00 you are being charged more than standard. This is because your accidents and incidents over the prior 3 years are higher than standard. If you had a rate of 1.20, you would be paying 20% more than normal for workers compensation. Our rate is .83, which means we are extraordinarily safe. We are charged 17% less than standard.
Our contractors license AZ ROC #133952, and insurance covers all types of asbestos removal in Phoenix. The table below lists some of those asbestos materials we remove.
Asbestos Floor Tile and Mastic
One of the most common uses for asbestos in building products is in flooring materials like vinyl floor tile, linoleum, and the mastic glues used to adhere these flooring materials to the concrete or wood surface which requires asbestos removal in Phoenix. Most all 9″ x 9″ floor tiles contain asbestos. It’s important to understand that the use of asbestos in the US has only been banned in a few products, namely, auto brake pads and linings, and thermal system insulation (TSI) typically the insulation around pipes. In other words, just because a home or building was built recently, it does not mean it doesn’t contain asbestos, it may! Flooring products containing asbestos are still imported from Canada and China and could be used in new construction.
The only way to determine if your floor tile or flooring product contains asbestos is by analytic methods using special microscopes. There are several laboratories in most cities, you can find them on the internet and still in phone books.
Home Depot | Lowes | Sears
You may be buying new flooring from Home Depot, Lowes, Sears, or others, and at some time in the process, they may stop the installation or may not have begun at all because asbestos may be present in your current flooring material or the mastics used to adhere them to the concrete. They will require that the flooring is tested for asbestos, and if there is asbestos they will not continue until you have hired a licensed contractor to properly remove these hazards to their installers. Home Depot, Lowes, and Sears will not remove asbestos materials. They will require a written assurance from the contractor that the asbestos removal was performed in accordance with all regulations and that the area is now free of asbestos. If you are planning to install new flooring, keep your project on schedule by testing those materials and getting them removed prior to your installer arriving, and leaving until the asbestos is removed.
The cost to remove asbestos flooring materials varies based on the following factors:
- What type of flooring is it?
- Floor Tile (12″ x 12″ and 9″ x 9″)
- Sheet Flooring (Linoleum)
- What type of adhesive was used?
- Black mastic
- Carpet glue
- Epoxy’s or other adhesives
- Is it a large open area like a Home Depot or an area with many small rooms like a home?
- Is the flooring on concrete or wood?
- Does the flooring go under cabinets or other structures?
- Will all items on the floor be removed prior to the removal?
- Is power and water available at the site?
- Can a hazardous waste dumpster be placed close to the home or building?
- Is scheduling flexible?
- Will work need to be performed after hours, on weekends or holidays?
- Where is the work located in the State?
Other factors may affect the cost of Phoenix area asbestos removal based on your needs. Call us and we will work with you to meet your needs and your budget.
American Abatement has removed asbestos flooring materials in:
- Commercial Buildings
- Industrial Buildings
- Homes
- Apartments
- Churches
- Schools
- Hospitals
Call us today for a free estimate to remove floor tile, mastic, or linoleum.
Asbestos Popcorn Ceilings
One of the most common ceiling textures in homes and commercial buildings was the infamous asbestos popcorn texture. It was used because of its superior fireproofing characteristics, and it was easy to install, and it hid any drywall imperfections. Today, most people agree it is unattractive.
American Abatement can quickly and safely remove asbestos popcorn texture. We use state-of-the-art methods and equipment to eliminate the possibility of contaminating your building or home during the removal process, including:
- HEPA Filtered Negative Air Machines
- HEPA Filtered Vacuums
- Protection of all surfaces with poly sheeting
- Fiber control through wet methods of removing popcorn
The cost for asbestos popcorn ceiling removal can vary due to the following:
- Is the area open like a department store or closed like a home with many rooms?
- Has the popcorn been painted?
- Will all the furniture and personal items be removed?
- How tall are the ceilings?
- Are the ceilings flat or vaulted?
- How flexible is your time frame?
- Will work need to be performed after hours, on weekends or holidays?
- Where is the work located in the State?
Asbestos Drywall
Some drywall was manufactured that contains asbestos. In fact, drywall is still imported into the US from places like Canada and China that still contain asbestos. A more commonplace for asbestos is in the textured coatings placed on the drywall. Another place used is the drywall system is the joint compound used over the joints between sheets of drywall and over the tape. The texture is considered a surfacing material and its removal is regulated as RACM by NESHAP in commercial buildings, including K-12 schools.
Asbestos Roofing
Over the years roofing product manufacturers have improved their products to provide for better weather protection and insulating properties. But in many cases asbestos has been retained in the products manufactured because of its superior characteristics. Asphalt roofing shingles contained asbestos for many years, but most shingles used today are asbestos free. In addition to shingles, rolled roofing also commonly contained asbestos. The black felt papers that separated the wood or metal sub-straight from the bottom layers of roofing commonly contain asbestos.
For 24 years American Abatement has been removing asbestos roofing materials from:
| Schools Hospitals Homes Apartments Hotels | Banks Government Buildings Churches Military Installations |
Asbestos Cement Pipe (ACP)
Most public works departments that provide water service used asbestos cement pipe (ACP) to transport water underground to your home or business. As road improvements are made this asbestos cement pipe is being replaced with other products. We have worked with General Contractors and Infrastructure Contractors to remove miles of asbestos cement pipe.
We provide solutions that are:
- Dependable
- Fast Response
- Low Cost
- Fixed Price Proposals
- Experience & Knowledge
Asbestos Thermal System Insulation (TSI)
The EPA has banned the use of asbestos in all thermal insulation applications. This includes pipes and boilers. However, there are thousands of hospital facilities, commercial buildings, high-rise structures, and many other structures that still have asbestos TSI in place.
American Abatement has removed TSI from many commercial buildings, schools, hospitals, and many other structures for 24 years.
Call us today! We will help you find a practical, cost-effective program to remove your TSI.
Asbestos Window and Door Caulking
It’s hard to believe, but asbestos was also used in window and door caulkings and sealants. It was used around window frames as well as between window panes. In schools, hospitals, and other public buildings the doors may be filled with asbestos, commonly called “fire-doors”.
American Abatement has removed asbestos window and door caulking from many schools and hospitals in Phoenix and around Arizona for 24 years.
Call us. We provide:
- Great Savings
- Fast Response
- Clean, Quiet and Considerate
Asbestos Linoleum
Linoleum, sheet goods, or sheet vinyl are all the same products. Linoleum is like Vinyl Composite Tile (VCT), the 12” by 12” or 9” by 9” tiles seen commonly in schools, hospitals, and public buildings. Many buildings and homes built before 1980 used asbestos linoleum. The big difference between VCT and linoleum is that linoleum uses asbestos backing paper that contains asbestos, it is typically gray. This backing paper when disturbed becomes friable, which means that fibers can easily be released into the air and become a health hazard. The removal of asbestos linoleum in commercial buildings triggers the EPA NESHAP regulations.
We have removed hundreds of thousands of square feet of asbestos linoleum in a safe manner.
Asbestos Duct Tape
We can help remove asbestos duct tape from commercial buildings and homes. Typically duct tape is in the attic space on HVAC ductwork, and in mechanical rooms where HVAC systems are located. Asbestos duct tape will become friable when disturbed and create a health hazard.
Asbestos Fireproofing
American Abatement has removed asbestos fireproofing over the past 24 years from many large commercial buildings built with steel which require a good fireproofing system, and asbestos just happened to fit that need. We have removed asbestos fireproofing from hospitals, high-rise office buildings, and industrial facilities.
Asbestos 1’ x 1’ Ceiling Tiles and Mastic
Ceiling tiles are often glued to drywall ceilings. The tile itself may contain asbestos, or the puck mastic (brown or black 2” to 3” round pucks) used to adhere the tile to the drywall. In some cases, the asbestos pucks can be removed with minimal damage to the drywall, so that a new ceiling system can be installed. American Abatement has removed tens of thousands of square feet of these ceiling tiles.
Asbestos Plaster
Plaster walls may contain asbestos. It may be in any layer of the plaster system, the scratch coat, brown coat, or white coat. The only way to determine if asbestos is in any coat is by analytical testing. We can remove the white or topcoat without damage to the other coats. We can also remove the entire plaster system including the metal lathe. We have removed plaster in many structures from commercial building, apartment complexes to homes.
Exterior Asbestos Stucco
Asbestos stucco has been used as an exterior surface for walls for many years. In most cases it is left place because it typically won’t cause a health hazard if not disturbed, and it really is a good exterior protection material. But when a structure or a wall surface is to be demolished, the asbestos plaster must be removed by a licensed abatement contractor. We have removed exterior asbestos plaster form many buildings. In most cases this will require scaffolding that is enveloped in poly sheeting to create a safe containment. We have removed stucco on 10 story buildings.
Asbestos Flue Pipe
Flue pipe can be found in any older building where there is a water heater or furnace. The pipe is an exhaust pipe to remove hot gases from the building. In homes, it goes up through the attic space, and through the roof with a vent cap. This is usually very quick to remove. There is a joint in the attic, which is removed, the pipe is then pulled up through the roof, and pulled down through the attic into the laundry room or other room in the home. It is removed in a non-disturbance method to prevent asbestos fiber releases. We remove nearly a hundred of these each year for 24 years.
Asbestos Boilers
Boilers are typically found in large buildings mechanical rooms. They can be very large, placed in the building by cranes prior to the roof being installed. The boiler is wrapped in an asbestos blanket, which is very friable and when disturbed will create a hazardous condition. There may also be asbestos fire brick on the interior of the boiler. We have removed many boilers that contained asbestos.
Asbestos Cove Base Mastic
Almost all schools, churches, commercial buildings, and government facilities built before 1980 used a mastic to attach the cove base to the wall with asbestos containing mastic. Very seldom is the cove base itself asbestos material. In fact, in our 25 years, we have only seen it twice. Cove base attached to drywall is fairly easy to remove, but when installed on brick walls, which is common, it is very difficult to remove. American Abatement has removed thousands of linear feet from both drywall and brick.
Asbestos Mirror Mastic
Asbestos is not only a good insulator but is a strong binder in glues and mastics. Large mirrors can be heavy and dangerous if they fall off a wall or ceiling, for this reason asbestos puck mastic (the brown or black) round 2″ to 3″ pucks were used to safely secure mirrors. We have removed many mirrors, in one case we removed them from a 20-foot-tall wall in a hotel lobby.
Asbestos Gaskets
These gaskets are found as connection sealers between large water and steam pipes, found in large buildings mechanical rooms. We have removed these in industrial facilities and hospital mechanical rooms.
Asbestos Transite Siding and Panels
Transite is a name commonly given to asbestos concrete products. Many buildings and homes built prior to the 60’s used asbestos transite shingles and siding. It’s use on residential homes tends to be more common in the northeast, although it has been widely used in every state. Another use of transite panels is to place them in the lower frame of windows in schools and other public buildings. These panels are also used in large cooling towers of commercial and industrial facilities.
American Abatement has removed these asbestos transite products on many projects for a variety of customers, including homeowners throughout the State of Arizona.
Asbestos Vermiculite
Vermiculite is an insulation product. It was used for attic insulation and filled in the open cells of CMU block walls as insulation, we see this in exterior CMU black walls in schools and other buildings. Vermiculite was manufactured by several companies. It is very light, brown in color with gold specks. One manufacturer, W.R. Grace formally The Zonolite Company mined vermiculite in Libby Montana. All the vermiculite mined in Libby contained asbestos.
In most products, asbestos can be identified, and the percentage can be determined, the EPA regulates asbestos containing materials equal to or greater than 1%. OSHA regulates all asbestos at any percentage. Vermiculite from the Libby mine can not be analytically tested for various reasons. Because it can not be tested for the accurate percentage, the EPA has decided that vermiculite with any asbestos content will be considered asbestos containing materials and handled as regulated asbestos.
In any case, OSHA regulates vermiculite with any percentage of asbestos. So, worker protection regulation always applies.
What American Abatement can do?
American Abatement’s employees are professionals trained to handle any type of asbestos materials and help determine the best course of action based on your specific needs.
We have exceptional credentials. All our workers are trained, experienced, reputable, and AHERA accredited. We have developed a reputation for being a safe, ethical, and cost-conscious asbestos abatement contractor.
Standard Practices
American Abatement generally furnishes all:
| Labor Materials Employee Training Expertise | Payroll Taxes Owned Equipment General Liability Knowledge | Workers Compensation Rented Equipment Pollution Liability |
and all other items necessary to complete the specific asbestos abatement scope on time.
- We obtain all required permits including any necessary state and local licenses.
- We will assist you in completing a NESHAP application if required.
- We maintain the following information for a period of at least 30 years for each project:
- Certificates of initial training showing that each Supervisor has successfully completed the required EPA approved Contractor/Supervisor course.
- Certificates of refresher training showing that each Supervisor has successfully completed the required EPA approved Contractor/Supervisor annual refresher course.
- Certificates of initial training showing that each asbestos worker has successfully completed the required EPA-approved asbestos worker course.
- Certificates of refresher training showing that each asbestos worker has successfully completed the required EPA-approved asbestos worker annual refresher course.
- OSHA Personnel air samples are analyzed by a qualified laboratory (NIOSH Proficiency Analytical Testing (PAT) Program, or is accredited by the AIHA for asbestos.
- OSHA Medical examinations.
- Waste manifests signed by the transporter and the landfill at an EPA-approved landfill.
Project Specific Practices
For each project we have in place:
- Written Hazard Communication Program
- Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
- Work Plan and Containment Configuration
- Respirator Program
- Pre-construction Meeting
- Safety Meetings
Statement by American Abatement: American Abatement did not develop the underlying information used to create the information at this website and does not warrant the accuracy and completeness of such information. American Abatement emphasizes that asbestos and black mold should not be handled, sampled, removed, or repaired by anyone other than a qualified professional.