Contractor loses job over asbestos testing
Q. I hope you don't mind another asbestos question. As a general contractor, I was bidding on the remodel of an old home. The ceilings had acoustic texture, sometimes known as "popcorn," so I included the costs of testing and possible asbestos removal in my bid. The homeowners complained that two other contractors had also bid on the job and that neither contractor had mentioned asbestos. Because my bid included the additional costs, I did not get the job. What do you think of this?
A. Contractors who did not consider the possibility of asbestos in their bids may not realize they are exposing themselves to financial liability and potential lawsuits.
Most of the acoustic ceilings installed from the 1950s through the 1970s contain asbestos. If the texture material is intact, it is not regarded as a significant health hazard. When removal or demolition takes place, the law requires that the material be tested and that handling, removal and disposal be done by a licensed asbestos abatement contractor.
The homeowners who received your bid were informed by you of a potential problem, but chose to overlook it, supposedly for financial reasons. In so doing, they made a serious misjudgment, exposing themselves and others to a possible health hazard.
In a similar situation several years ago, a remodeling contractor removed acoustic ceiling texture from a home without advising the owner of possible asbestos. Fabrics throughout the house, including carpets, drapes, upholstery and clothing, were later found to be contaminated with asbestos fibers. All of these had to be sent to a toxic waste site, and the contractor was held to be financially liable for the losses.
The homeowners in your recent situation were not prudent in their decision. Hopefully, they will not come to regret that choice.
Q. The home we are buying has a brick fireplace with a gas burner and cement logs. We would like to burn wood logs instead, to get some heat in the house and to have a homier atmosphere during the holidays, but we're wondering what problems this might entail. What is your advice?
A. The crackle of a traditional log fire can provide a cozy and romantic ambience to your living room, but contrary to common belief, a masonry fireplace provides very little heat to the interior of a home. If you stand near a wood fire, you will enjoy the warmth of radiant heat, but while this is happening, the convection that draws smoke up the chimney is also drawing the warm air from within your house, sending it in the direction of Santa Claus after the stockings have been stuffed.
If you wish to heat your home by burning wood, the best approach is to install a fireplace insert. Basically, this is a wood-burning stove, specifically designed to be set into the combustion chamber of a fireplace. To determine which insert model will fit your fireplace and provide the greatest amount of heat per volume of wood, consult a certified chimney sweep. And be sure to have an approved flue liner installed inside the masonry chimney.
• To write to Barry Stone, visit him on the web at www.housedetective.com, or write AMG, 1776 Jami Lee Court, Suite 218, San Luis Obispo, CA 94301.
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