Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Staler than five day old bread

I wish I had some type of encouraging news, some interesting story to tell anyone that wanders by. Even some interesting pictures like those of a forever family turning two, a naked gardener or a little guy who could give Kobayashi* a run for his money. I don't. I have trouble with asbestos and companies who don't do their job.

Here is a quick definition of what Asbestos is (thanks to Wikipedia) (this sounds awfully familiar)

Asbestos is a group of minerals with long, thin fibrous crystals. The word "asbestos" is derived from a Greek adjective meaning inextinguishable. The Greeks termed asbestos the "miracle mineral" because of its soft and pliant properties, as well as its ability to withstand heat.
Asbestos became increasingly popular among manufacturers and builders in the late 19th century due to its resistance to heat, electricity and chemical damage, its sound absorption and tensile strength. When asbestos is used for its resistance to fire or heat, the fibers are often mixed with
cement or woven into fabric or mats. Asbestos is used in brake shoes and gaskets for its heat resistance, and in the past was used on electric oven and hotplate wiring for its electrical insulation at elevated temperature, and in buildings for its flame-retardant and insulating properties, tensile strength, flexibility, and resistance to chemicals.

This "miracle material" is now known to be highly toxic. The
inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause serious illnesses, including mesothelioma and asbestosis. Since the mid 1980s, many uses of asbestos have been banned in many countries.

Ok now that we have covered the basics here is the problem.

The lady who we are trying desperately to buy a house from, hired a company way back when to remove the asbestos from the pipes in her basement. She tried very hard to make it safe for who ever was going to buy the house. The company did not do their job and actually made the situation worse. Asbestos is fine* if it is not in a "friable" state. (Friable is a term used by the asbestos people to say falling apart) Once it becomes friable it gets into the air and then into your lungs. I don't think I have to say that, that's not good.

The company that was hired actually left friable material sitting on the sill of the basement, left large amounts of asbestos dust, and forgot to remove whole sections of the stuff from the pipes. She called the company back three times. This wasn't once or even twice but three times and they still managed to F#!K up.

SO......
Now the basement not only needs to have the rest of the asbestos removed, but it also needs to be thoroughly washed and cleaned to remove all the asbestos dust, which thanks to some incompetent boob, is everywhere!

At least I know which company to go back to should I develop Mesothelioma. Cha Ching$$

* Kobayashi is a famous Japanese fellow who can eat enormous amounts of food.

* By fine, I mean it will have a very hard time getting into your lungs unless you bump it and make it friable.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Well, what do I say? I don't know what to say. Is the company with the estimate ok? I hope so. Is it still "go" on the house? Things can only get better. (I hope). Love MOM