Asbestos siding disposal

ronjhall · Dec 9, 2003

Rick
I didn’t think I would have anything to add to this thread. But as I left my place today I drove by a home on a new golf course less than 2 miles from my home. There was a crew dressed in white protective suits and wearing respirators, taking the asbestos siding off an old home on the property. The ground was covered with plastic about 10 feet out from the building. They had a special container to put the removed siding into. It has been raining all day. (I guess to keep the dust down) The county parks own the property.

Now I’m real concerned about this because with all these precaution and me living down wind I may be in danger of getting some kind of disease from the removal of the siding. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

It sure seems like a lot of concern over the removal some siding that has been on a house for 40 or more years.

I wonder if the TV program This Old House with Bob Vila has caused all this concern. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

I don’t have an opinion on the proper way you should dispose of the siding. But I would find someone that likes to work in the dark of the night and get rid of it. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Junkman · Dec 9, 2003

Tractornut......... I can't even fathom what a 2 gallon can of mercury would look like, because when I was in the scrap metal business with my dad, we dealt in mercury. Back in the 1960's, it was kept in a steel flask that was either 1 quart or 1/2 gallon and it weighed in the neighborhood of 86 pounds. If you are keeping it in a 2 gallon container, I would be very careful how you handle it, because the container must be ready to burst at the seams. In fact, I can't even understand how you could even lift a 2 gallon container without difficulty.

chim · Dec 9, 2003

I helped the chemistry teacher handle a container of mercury way back when I was in HS. The container was larger in diameter than a hand-held propane tank, and I'd guess held a gallon? It was constructed much like a compressed gas clyinder. Anyway, I was absolutely amazed something so small could weigh so much..............chim

Oh yeah, we did use some to make coins real nice and shiny /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

BIGUN · Dec 9, 2003

That’s what I was wondering, is how much would two gallons of mercury weigh and thinking it would take someone with a lot better back than mine to pack it around.

AndyM,
I do remember doing that in about second grade. We had a small bottle of the stuff in the back of the room and we would roll the silver balls around in our hands. One kid said his Dad told him we shouldn’t be doing that because it was poisonous. We all let him know that he was full of it and it wasn’t going to hurt us one bit. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

I guess the stuff used to be pretty valuable before it became so notorious, maybe still is. I can remember my Dad talking about being on a stakeout in the early 60’s to catch thieves stealing mercury from oil field equipment.

Junkman · Dec 9, 2003

( Tractornut......... I can't even fathom what a 2 gallon can of mercury would look like, because when I was in the scrap metal business with my dad, we dealt in mercury. Back in the 1960's, it was kept in a steel flask that was either 1 quart or 1/2 gallon and it weighed in the neighborhood of 86 pounds. If you are keeping it in a 2 gallon container, I would be very careful how you handle it, because the container must be ready to burst at the seams. In fact, I can't even understand how you could even lift a 2 gallon container without difficulty. )

I made a small mistake on the above post. I called a friend and had him look up the weight of mercury. According to his engineering book, it weighs 849 pounds per cubic foot. There is 1.6 gallons per cubic foot. If we round that down to 6 quarts, each quart will weigh 141.5 pounds..... I will have to call my brother to have him refresh my memory as to the "tare" weight of the flask. My memory cells had remembered 86#, but at this point, I know that to be incorrect.

DocHeb · Dec 9, 2003

( That’s what I was wondering, is how much would two gallons of mercury weigh )

Per Weights of Various Materials from READE, mercury weighs 849 lbs per cubic foot (or 113 lbs per gallon (with 7.48 gallons per cubic foot)).

BIGUN · Dec 9, 2003

OK, we got a discrepancy here. Junkman just thinking about it, it seems like your figure would be the correct one, but after consulting my handy dandy “Convert” program I see DocHeb is the winner. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

DocHeb · Dec 10, 2003

I always find it amazing that there are 7.48 gallons in a cubic foot. It doesn't seem possible when you look at the size of a gallon of milk, yet go to Google.com and enter a search for "gallons in a cubic foot".

bgott · Dec 10, 2003

Mercury is used to recover gold from black sand by prospectors. When I lived in Nevada everybody I knew that played in the desert had a jug or two stashed for their prospecting. You could buy or sell it in pawnshops by the 76 pound flask.

BIGUN · Dec 10, 2003

Here is a link to a free neat little converter program. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Convert Software

slowzuki · Dec 10, 2003

Where my father grew up there was asbestos in rocks in the ground. They used to break them open and pull the strands out. He said they used it to decorate xmas trees too, like tinsel.

Ethically I suppose I'm bound to say hire an expert but myself I would don the gear, wet it down or paint the siding and try not to work in a dust cloud. It really shouldn't hurt to be burried, it is a mineral found in the ground.

A funny story here, DOT dumped a load of asphalt on the shoulder of the road after doing some pothole patching.

Some enviromentalist started writing letters about how this must be bad for the environment! Too bad no one told him what the road or his driveway is made out of /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Junkman · Dec 10, 2003

( OK, we got a discrepancy here. Junkman just thinking about it, it seems like your figure would be the correct one, but after consulting my handy dandy “Convert” program I see DocHeb is the winner. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif )

No big deal...... I can just edit that slight bit of misinformation and no one will be the wiser...... /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

the current price of mercury scrap is $145 per pound......

Junkman · Dec 10, 2003

( Mercury is used to recover gold from black sand by prospectors. When I lived in Nevada everybody I knew that played in the desert had a jug or two stashed for their prospecting. You could buy or sell it in pawnshops by the 76 pound flask. )

Thanks for the flask weight..... now I know that my memory was only off by 10# on the flask weigh..... that was only a 1/4 pound per year of 40 year memory loss........... /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

BIGUN · Dec 10, 2003

( the current price of mercury scrap is $145 per pound...... )

My gosh! 113 lb per gallon X 2 gallons X $145 per lb = $32, 770 /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
That’s a pretty nice nest egg!
I would be selling that stuff and buying me a new tractor or something.
TaylorTractorNut, I can PM you my Christmas wish list. OK? /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Junkman · Dec 10, 2003

I would gladly take that hazardous waste from him. It is no wonder that companies like Honeywell, the thermostat manufacturer are willing to send you free packaging and return shipping labels to get you to return your old thermostats. It is the environment friendly thing to do, and it doesn't cost them, it pays for them to do so...... another win win situation between the consumer and American companies. See, not all big business is bad!!!!!!

Taylortractornut · Dec 11, 2003

Ive tried to take it to a few different metal dealers not the locals. They start asking alot of questions about where how and why I have it. They say I dont have a liscnse to have that much but. Its also a lower grade, it has a black tint to it. My uncle said it was used for some sort of filtering purpose and they had a time to get rid of it. Its in a container that has 1 1/4 inch thich walls and is also insulated. My towmotor had a time unloading it. I may take it in small containers to different metal dealers. Id love to convert it to cash lol.

Junkman · Dec 11, 2003

I have never heard of scrap dealers caring that much where it came from as long as you gave them a reasonable explanation and provided your drivers license information and were willing to accept a check in payment. They need to cover their a** in the event that there is any questions in the future. That is the reason for payment by check. You will be better off selling the entire lot, than trying to parcel it out. These dealers do talk to each other and if you try to sell a little to each, then they will start to think that the material is stolen, and you will receive a visit from the long arm of the law asking questions. Honesty is always the best way to deal with these things. I don't know if a license is required now, but when you acquired the mercury, I doubt that it was, so you would be exempt now, since you are not dealing in mercury. I have no idea why it would have a black tint to it unless it has a lot of contamination present. This will hurt the value.... It should be clean and have a silver color to it...........

Taylortractornut · Dec 12, 2003

I called my uncle and thats the reason he had it. It was so impure that it would only bring the same price as clean aluminum. He told me that why Dupont let him have it. My uncle used it for making motion censors on some gates.

marty · Dec 12, 2003

I am a licensed asbestos inspector and here are my thoughts. The siding you are referring to typically is non-friable, which means it can not be crushed with the power of your hand. This siding typically has to be disposed of as a special waste, not a hazardous waste. A special waste landfill just has to have an approved landfill and record system.

e-mail if you have questions

bgott · Dec 12, 2003

You could try running it through a retort to clean it up. A retort is basically a still for mercury. It's very important to remember that mercury vapor is extremely poisonous, there used to be more than a couple of fellows your age running around gold mining country without their hair and teeth from breathing it.

Try running " mercury retort" through Google, there are lots of sites on retorts.