You know, the chances of you having asbestos in your house (though I wouldn't think from plaster) are very good; you probably could've saved yourself some $$ and assumed that it was in there. It's like lead paint (more properly called lead coatings). It's ubiquituous.

The problem w/ asbestos only occurs when it's airborne. So if you create a lot of dust, you're going to create a lot of asbestos hazard. Likewise w/ lead.

DH and I removed linoleum from his kitchen floor. We probably did not do ourselves or the house any favors, since we did not take the proper steps (encapsulate).

If I were to do it again, here's how I would evaluate the work:

1. Can I cover it up and live with it (new drywall over old painted surface, or new siding over old, for example, or easiest, paint it w/out disturbing much surface).

2. If I can't, then I would be damned sure I knew how to clean the area properly as I worked. HAVING SAID THAT. IT ISN'T ROCKET SCIENCE!!!!

Work wet, clean w/ HEPA (not the kind available from Sears), know the regs, wear the proper mask, and keep the area closed off while you work.

Also, having said that (and here's the blasphemy part), while there is definitely a hazard involved w/ both lead and asbestos, many, many millions of people are exposed daily and never get sick.

Take this stuff w/ a big ol' grain of salt. A HEPA shop vac, btw, can cost as little as $300 and if you're planning lots of renos, would be well worth the effort. An asbestos mask is about $100, I think.

Let me know if you would like links to sources.

I agree wholeheartedley with DruidClark. If you do alot of research on this, you also find that asbestos is to some extent a red herring. From what I read, white asebestos which is what is found in the NE part of north america is not carcinogenic. Or if it is, not nearly to the extent of the other kind (sorry, can't remember what the other kind was).

I educated myself on the abatement procedures and cleaned a whole bunch of friable material off an old coal-fired furnace. Mositure-laden air, ventilator masks, disposable overalls, lots of contractor garbage bags sealed with duct tape and taken to the hazardous waste disposal site in your area.

This job shouldn't be taken on by everyone, and you need to educate yourself and come to your own conclusions.