How do I know if it's asbestos?
You can't tell by looking. A sample has to be analysed by a lab, usually by polarized light microscopy. Until there is a result, treat suspect material in an older house as if it contains asbestos and leave it undisturbed.
Do I need a permit to remove asbestos from my house?
Usually not from the county or DEP. Allegheny County's Article XXI and PA DEP both regulate commercial buildings and residential buildings of more than four units, and a private house of four or fewer units is generally outside both. State law still applies to the people doing the work: anyone you hire must be certified by the Department of Labor & Industry, and contractors notify before friable jobs over 3 square or linear feet.
Can I remove it myself?
The county and DEP rules generally do not cover a homeowner working on a private house, but Pennsylvania's certification law has no written homeowner exemption, and do-it-yourself removal is how fibres end up spread through the rest of a house. At the very least, have it tested first, and don't sand, scrape or sweep it.
Should I remove it or leave it?
Intact material that won't be disturbed can often stay, sometimes sealed or enclosed. Removal makes sense when it is damaged or crumbling, or when a renovation, demolition or sale is going to disturb it.
Do I need to move out during removal?
Usually not for a small, sealed-off area like a basement pipe run. The work area is closed off and kept under negative pressure, and nobody goes in until the clearance test passes. Larger jobs may need you out of that part of the house for a few days.
How much does asbestos removal cost?
It depends on what the material is, how much there is, how hard the area is to seal and what notice or permit the job needs. A few feet of pipe wrap and a whole basement floor of tile are very different jobs. The estimate is free once the material has been identified and measured, and you approve the number before work starts.
How do I know the job is finished?
Containment stays up until an air test shows the area is clear, and you get that result in writing. On a permitted job at a regulated building in Allegheny County, the Health Department also carries out a final clearance inspection.
My house is newer. Can it still have asbestos?
Less likely, but possible. The Allegheny County Health Department notes that asbestos floor tile, mastic and roofing can still legally be bought in the US, because most of the EPA's 1989 ban was overturned in 1991. Testing is the only way to be sure.
