Perhaps the least fun I have had working on the River House is the removal of this pipe and another one just like it. The pipe is principally made of cement but also contains asbestos. Before demolition can begin, all asbestos must be removed from the structure and properly disposed of. Step one, completed last Saturday was to remove the stone tiles and cut through the 4″ concrete slab covering the pipe (3 hours). Step two, completed yesterday was to break up and remove the concrete covering the pipe (2 hours). Step three was to cut out the subflooring covering the remainder of the pipe (10 minutes). Step four, completed today while wearing a respirator, gloves, and a Tyvek hazmat suit, involved breaking the pipe into manageable-sized chunks and double bagging them in 10 mil plastic bags. Next weekend the bags will be picked up by a certified hazardous waste disposal company for a total cost of $300, a tiny fraction of the price had I hired a company to do this job.