Stucco, Ivy, Asbestos

carolwilfreda

The stucco in my building contains asbestos. Someone 40 years ago someone planted  ivy which covered  the walls until  3days ago. We had a contractor remove the ivy, now we are faced with removing the numerous ivy tendrils, and the problem is we just discovered the stucco contains asbestos. We have a huge problem. Can anyone offer suggestions on how to remove these tendrils safety without  causing a health crisis 
I would be enormously grateful for any help.
Thankyou.

Dovefromabove

We were advised that attempting to remove the remains of ivy’s adventitious roots would damage our (modern) brickwork which is otherwise hard and in good condition.

We were told to leave it and the weather would remove it ... eventually. That was in 2011 ... it’s coming off but very slowly. 

My best suggestion for you is that you could paint over the bits of root when you paint the stucco. 

Helix

Generally the advice re asbestos is if it ain’t broke, then don’t fix it.  So if the stucco is in otherwise good condition and taking off the tendrils could damage the surface then DON’T.    You really don’t want to risk releasing asbestos dust unless you do the complete removal job with protective equipment and proper disposal containers. 

So Dove’s suggestion is what I’d do.

(remember these days you do have to disclose asbestos when you sell your house - so if you purchased recently I’d have words with whoever did your sale.)

Helix

Just checked, so if you bought house in last 6 years you should have been told

“Since the repeal of the Property Misdescriptions Act in 2013, all sellers are obliged to disclose the presence of asbestos during a sale. Of course, owners are not expected to detect the presence of asbestos in their home by themselves, but more than likely this information will have been uncovered by a chartered surveyor before they moved in.”

matt_fender

Helix said:

Of course, owners are not expected to detect the presence of asbestos in their home by themselves, but more than likely this information will have been uncovered by a chartered surveyor before they moved in.”

I think when we bought our place 3 years ago the survey said something like "may contain asbestos in areas that couldn't be observed", or words to that effect. And it is quite likely that it does - in the old soffits or elsewhere - because the house was built in the 60's. We haven't actually observed it (and wouldn't necessarily recognise it) ourselves, and the line in the survey seemed like a bit of boilerplate "arse covering" (if you'll excuse the expression) to me.

carolwilfreda

Thanks for the suggestions.  What about a weed killer or some other kind of spray. Any ideas on this?

Skandi

It's dead you don't need to do anything to it. Time will remove it but it does take a long time especially if it's always dry. I agree with the painting over suggestion! I just bought a house covered in ivy (on brick) we've removed all the ivy from one side, and Virginia creeper from the other, but I'm not about to damage the brickwork to scrub off all the little bits.

carolwilfreda

Thanks Skandi.

Lizzie27

May I ask how you know the stucco contains asbestos?  Was it the people who removed the ivy in the first place? I think I'd want a professional opinion from somebody who's qualified in such matters.

carolwilfreda

Funny you should ask. I know for certain that there is stucco IN the building that was constructed in the late 60’s so I have just assumed it is on the exterior walls as well, and I am preparing for that. I will know by Wednesday of next week if there is or isn’t .Last Thursday I called an abatement company, followed his instructions , collected the three samples required by the government and took them to the lab. If there is no asbestos , fingers crossed there isn’t, I am still faced with how to remove the ivy , the only difference being. I won’t have to worry about health concerns.  I had several stucco contractors quoting approximately $21,000, and double that if the test comes back positive.  Something I have not mentioned, is  that this is a strata  of which I am the president, and I am feeling more than a little vulnerable right now as it was my suggestion to paint which required removing the ivy.  I just discovered this morning, that if I had of left the leaves on I could have sprayed with herbicide, too late now.  

Dovefromabove

You’d have still been left with the brown
stems and adventitious roots clinging to the stucco. Using a herbicide would simply have caused the just the leaves to go brown and drop off.