Safe, Cost-Effective Removal of Asbestos, Mold, and Lead-Based Paint

Frequently Asked Questions

Asbestos Removal

There would be no charge for your estimate. Unlike many other Chicago area asbestos removal companies, Bluestone Environmental offers detailed, written cost estimates free of charge.

A Bluestone estimator can typically visit your home or business within 24–48 hours of an estimate request. In some cases, we may even be able to offer same day service. For more information, or to schedule an appointment, call us at 800-708-9053, or submit an online cost estimate request.

Bluestone can typically email your written cost estimate on the same day of your site visit. While this same-day service isn’t always possible, nearly all of our customers will receive their written estimate within 48 hours.

The cost for removal of asbestos floor tiles in a basement depends on a number of factors, such as:

  • The location of the home or building requiring the removal work: Many municipalities require a project permit (and associated fees) for asbestos projects
  • Whether asbestos-containing adhesive (mastic) is present in the work area
  • Whether multiple layers of floor tile are present
  • Whether carpeting must be removed during the work

Contact Bluestone for more information or to set up a free cost estimate.

Asbestos Testing

Yes. All of Bluestone’s project estimators are Illinois-licensed Asbestos Inspectors. While onsite for your asbestos remediation cost estimate, Bluestone can also perform asbestos testing as needed.

To determine whether asbestos is present in a particular building material, a sample of the material must be properly collected by an Illinois-licensed Asbestos Inspector and analyzed at an accredited laboratory.

Bluestone charges $150 for the collection and analysis of the first sample taken, and $25 for each additional sample. For more information, please see the Asbestos Testing page.

The answer depends on the age and the size of the tiles. Floor tiles installed in homes and buildings prior to 1980 may contain asbestos. In addition to age, another conventional indicator of possible asbestos content is the dimension of the tiles. Specifically, tiles that are 9” x 9” in size almost always contain asbestos. Tiles that are not 9” x 9” may or may not contain asbestos.

Mold Removal

There would be no charge for your estimate. Unlike many other Chicago area mold removal companies, Bluestone Environmental offers detailed, written cost estimates free of charge.

A Bluestone estimator can typically visit your home or business within 24–48 hours of an estimate request. In some cases, we may even be able to offer same day service. For more information, or to schedule an appointment, call us at 800-708-9053, or submit an online cost estimate request.

Bluestone can typically email your written cost estimate on the same day of your site visit. While this same-day service isn’t always possible, nearly all of our customers will receive their written estimate within 48 hours.

Contact Bluestone for more information or to set up a free cost estimate.

Mold Testing

If obvious mold growth is present on building materials, it is often unnecessary to perform testing. While there has been a significant amount of media coverage of “toxic mold” and “black mold,” experts agree that any type of mold growth on building materials inside a home or building is not healthful. Mold-contaminated materials should be carefully removed by properly trained mold abatement workers.

No, Bluestone believes that mold testing should be conducted by an environmental inspection company. An inspection company utilizes specialized tools such as moisture meters, infrared cameras, and video boroscopes. Good inspectors don’t simply collect samples to determine the type of mold present; they also determine the extent of the contamination. The more competent mold inspection companies also determine the source of moisture intrusion.  Finding the source of the moisture problem, and correcting it is recommended prior to performing mold remediation.

Airborne mold testing is often unnecessary and of limited value. Mold is present in both indoor and outdoor air at all times. Therefore, airborne mold testing conducted inside a home or building will always identify a certain concentration of mold spores.

If mold is obviously present on indoor building materials, there will likely be elevated concentrations of airborne mold spores. An evaluation of the mold air sampling results is typically based on a comparison of indoor sample results versus outdoor sample results. In general, in an uncontaminated home or building, indoor mold levels should be lower than those outdoors; the taxa (types of mold and fungi) identified should also be similar indoors and outdoors.

Most experts recommend removing the contaminated materials as soon as possible. However, in some cases collecting airborne mold samples is the prudent course of action. Check with an environmental consulting firm for additional information and guidance.

Lead-Based Paint Removal Estimates

There would be no charge for your estimate. Unlike many other Chicago area mold removal companies, Bluestone Environmental offers detailed, written cost estimates free of charge

A Bluestone estimator can typically visit your home or business within 24–48 hours of an estimate request. In some cases, we may even be able to offer same day service. For more information, or to schedule an appointment, call us at 800-708-9053, or submit an online cost estimate request.

Bluestone can typically email your written cost estimate on the same day of your site visit. While this same-day service isn’t always possible, nearly all of our customers will receive their written estimate within 48 hours.

Lead-Based Paint Testing

Yes, a professional, state-licensed lead inspector can test the surfaces in your home or facility. They can collect a paint chip sample and submit it to a laboratory for analysis. Or they may use an x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer to measure the concentration of lead in paint at the site.

Many stores offer home testing kits for lead-based paint. However, The Consumer Product Safety Commission said that they didn’t find home test kits useful for detecting lead because in their test, they found too many false negatives and a few false positive test results.

Service Area

Bluestone is located just outside of Chicago, in Bridgeview, Illinois. Our standard service area covers Chicago and surrounding areas in northeast Illinois, including: Cook, Lake, DuPage, Will, and McHenry Counties. While we do the majority of our work in the service area described above, we have completed some of our larger projects in central and northwest Illinois.

Contact Bluestone for more information.

Call us at 1.800.708.9053 or email us today to get your free quote

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