"Danielle Eastman" wrote in message
...
Jerry, Thanks for the concern. I wish it was a fish! We could throw it
out with the garbage!!!! We did definitely make bad calls. The people
that did our job were the son and daughter-in-law (licensed contractors)
of a very sweet little old lady in our church. Don't usually fall for
that , but you are right...it was our call...our mistake. I am not
asking for sympathy. Just answers to do what is needed . Our home is
a split entry and the popcorn ceiling was at the bottom of our stairs
and as he sanded with the power sander it went everywhere. We did have
plastic and you are right, we should have done more. Probably the cold
air return should have been covered. We did not know. We have changed
the filter many times...even have a filter over the cold air return
downstairs that we have changed. plus a standing HEPA air filter system.
Jerry, you make it sound so black and white and maybe it is. STUPID is
what we were, but that is over and now we have written to this forum to
find answers. I would have made up a better story than this. We do
appreciate all of the information that everyone provided and any other
suggestions, but Jerry, you don't need to reply. We will be fine. We
will get through this like all people do. Again, thank you all very
much.

This cleanup sounds very much like the cleanup that was necessary when
asbestos was discovered in the office where I used to work. The heating
ducts were immediately vacuumed out with a commercial hepa vacuum and then
sealed off. The area immediately affected was sealed off with heavy gauge
plastic. The area outside of that area was then cleaned with a commercial
hepa filtered vacuum with the exhaust vented to the outside through yet
another filter. When that was finished, the newly cleaned area was lightly
pressurized and the same procedure was followed in the sealed off area which
was now negatively pressured. It took a couple of weeks for the whole
process to be completed (removal of the asbestos and the cleanup).

Good luck with your cleanup

Ron