Asbestos Removal Hamilton
Asbestos removal Hamilton buildings need is organised by the regulation's three types of operation, and which type applies depends on the material, how much of it there is and how it will be disturbed.
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How Ontario classifies asbestos work
Section 12 of O. Reg. 278/05 sorts operations that may expose a worker to asbestos into Type 1, Type 2 and Type 3. Type 1 includes removing non-friable asbestos-containing material, other than ceiling tiles, without breaking, cutting, drilling, abrading, grinding, sanding or vibrating it. Type 2 includes removing less than one square metre of friable material or one square metre or more of drywall with asbestos joint compound. Type 3 includes removal or disturbance of more than one square metre of friable asbestos-containing material.
Work on ceiling tiles, drywall and friable material is classified by the total area worked on consecutively in a room or enclosed area, even if the job is divided into smaller parts. This is general information about the regulation, not legal advice.
What this means for Hamilton buildings
Many Hamilton buildings are old enough that renovations and repairs have touched materials from several eras. A converted house in Westdale may have plaster and floor tile; a commercial block downtown may have pipe wrap, boiler insulation and textured ceilings; an apartment building on the Mountain may have tile and joint compound. The classification depends on the specific material and the work, which is why we look at the building and the planned disturbance before proposing a method.
Removal is planned on paper first: what will be removed, how much, what controls apply, how waste is bagged and removed, and how the area is left.
Removal in four stages
- Free assessmentWe look at the materials and the work planned, and explain what applies.
- Written scope and priceYou receive both before any removal.
- Controlled removalWork areas are isolated and materials are removed using the controls that suit their classification.
- Cleanup and completionThe area is cleaned, waste is taken away and you receive a record of the work.
Hamilton jobs we are asked about
- Removing floor tile before a basement or kitchen renovation
- Taking out textured ceilings in an older house
- Dealing with pipe wrap during a plumbing or heating upgrade
- Removing drywall with suspect joint compound
- Preparing an older commercial unit for a fit-out
Why we do not recommend doing it yourself
Breaking, cutting, sanding or drilling a material that contains asbestos is the kind of activity the regulation controls most tightly. Even where the law does not apply to a private homeowner, the fibres do not know that. Having a material tested first, and removed by people who work under controls, protects the household and avoids contaminating the rest of the house.
When the answer is to leave it alone
Not every asbestos-containing material has to come out. A sound material that nobody will disturb may sometimes be left in place, and the regulation itself contemplates enclosing friable material as a Type 2 operation. We tell you what the options are for your building and what each one means for future work, so that you decide with full information.
Hamilton asbestos removal questions
Is there an assessment fee?
No. The assessment is free.
Do I have to test first?
We usually recommend it, because the result decides the method. If you already have a laboratory report, bring it.
Do I need to leave during removal?
Sometimes not, and sometimes yes. It turns on the material, how much of it there is and where the work is relative to where you live. We give our recommendation in writing before any work.
Request a quote
Tell us what you need and we will get back to you. In a hurry? Calling is fastest.