Re: [BP] tar and asbestos

[Pamela S. Follett]

The storefront we're renting/renovating has asbestos floor tiling - the place was built in the 50's.  We left it in the one spot of the 1st floor that we covered with carpeting, under the premise that if there was a fire in the basement, this would help to slow it down.  For the upstairs, the zoning dude told us that if we want to remove them, just toss them a few at a time into the dumpster.  They aren't broken up and will come up in one piece, so I assume it's safe.  However, when the 2nd story windows were replaced last week, the glass dudes just erected a rickety looking 8 ft. scaffold and moved it as needed, including when they were working on the front.  I imagined them dropping a window on someone walking by.  The zoning dude didn't seem to have a problem with it.  That's when I knew for sure that I'm living in the sticks. ----- Original Message ----- From: creighton To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, October 07, 2004 23:20 Subject: Re: [BP] tar and asbestos you could buy fibrated roof cement up through the 70s. I remember 2 versions that were common. roof coating, paintable onto barnroofs ect and cement for patching holes. As most trips to a ny roof would show, roof cement - plastic cement cracks unless it is reinforced in some way.     In the 80s I restored a brownstone for The Joyce-Mertz Gilmore Foundation, an ecologically inclined nonprofit. The then chief insisted everything be totally by the book. We ended up with white suits up on top removing the roof .     I believe this material was also used during the wax shortage for waterproofing screens Does anyone know what ever happened with the asbestos curtain at the Amsterdam Theatre?----- Original Message ----- Tar Baby From: Met History To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, October 07, 2004 12:16 PM Subject: [BP] tar and asbestos An engineer, Stanley Goldstein, reports finding tar on the inside of a brick wall of a 1920's building.  Tar was commonly used in such locations, apparently as "waterproofing".   Chemical tests report 7% asbestos in the tar.  Any ideas on why that would be?   Christopher Gray Author, "New York Streetscapes", published May 2003 by Harry N. Abrams, Inc. Office for Metropolitan History 246 West 80th Street, #8, NYC  10024 212-799-0520  fax -0542 e: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For a general survey of research techniques, please examine "Researching a New York City Building" at www.nysoclib.org.