La Mesa Asbestos Removal provides asbestos stucco removal in La Mesa, CA, for window and door replacements, additions and full re-stucco projects. Does exterior stucco contain asbestos? It can, and stucco asbestos testing on samples from the walls you plan to cut is the only way to know. Original coats and later patches are tested separately.
Stucco covers ranch houses and small apartment buildings across East County. We take on exterior stucco work in La Mesa and surrounding communities, including Lemon Grove and Santee.
Retrofit windows can sometimes go in without touching the stucco, but a full-frame replacement or a wider opening means cutting a band around the frame. That band is the area to sample and, if needed, remove before the window installer arrives. The rest of the wall stays in place.
A house that gained a family room or had a garage enclosed may have stucco from two or three eras, and old cracks may have been patched with a different mix. Each one is a separate material for testing. If the original wall tests positive while an addition does not, the scope can shrink considerably.
Stripping whole walls for new lath and stucco or for siding is the largest version of this work. Intact asbestos stucco is Category II nonfriable material under Rule 1206, but breaking it off a wall with hammers and bars is the kind of handling that can make it friable. Wetting, controlled removal in sections and prompt bagging keep it from becoming airborne.
The phrase "stucco ceiling" is used for both troweled plaster finishes and sprayed acoustic texture. Hard troweled finishes are sampled like plaster. A soft, crumbly sprayed coat belongs with asbestos popcorn ceiling removal, which is planned differently.
Exterior removal happens in the open air, so the work area is sealed off with plastic on the ground and along the wall, gutters and vents are covered, and windows nearby are closed. La Mesa’s dry inland weather means dust travels farther and debris dries out faster, so keeping the stucco damp and bagging it as it comes off matters more than on a mild, humid coast.
Once removed, broken stucco that crumbles is handled as friable waste; DTSC classifies friable material with 1% or more asbestos as hazardous waste for a licensed transporter. Before the wall is reopened to framers or plasterers, the area is cleaned and inspected so the next crew starts on a clear wall.
An addition or a run of new windows tends to reach interior finishes too, which is where asbestos abatement before renovation and demolition comes in. La Mesa Asbestos Removal also handles ceilings, floors, ducts and walls.
Tell us which walls or openings are involved, whether any part of the house was added later, and when the window, door or plaster crew is booked. Note anything close to the property line, such as a neighbor’s wall or a shared driveway. We'll get back to you soon with an estimate or any questions we have. Estimates are free and there's no obligation.
Call (619) 639-0343