Asbestos around ducts and vents. Help!

[akimbo]

Just went to great lengths to remove asbestos backed flooring from our basement and now that the ceilings are open I see that at all the duct work joints there is asbestos tape. And, at all the vents there is asbestos between the vent and the wood. It's all dry and flaky. I thought of taping it over, but I'm worried that fibers may be entering the joint spaces and could be blowing into the house every time we turn on the HVAC system. It's an air exchange heat pump so there is lots of air flowing. Any thoughts? Have pictures if anyone cares to see them. Thank you.

[sweat hog]

How do you know its asbestos?. If it is you need to have it removed. I sincerly hope alot of ducting is not sealed with asbestos tape.

[akimbo]

How do you know its asbestos?. If it is you need to have it removed. I sincerly hope alot of ducting is not sealed with asbestos tape.

I'm positive it is. House was built in 1968 and it looks like pics I've seen--grey/white and flaky.

[seatonheating]

I'm positive it is. House was built in 1968 and it looks like pics I've seen--grey/white and flaky.


You need to get a pro to take a sample, analyze it, and determine exactly what it is.


Why guess with your health?

[akimbo]

I've had my ceiling tiles and floor tiles tested. The floor was positive and we had that removed. Didn't mind paying for that, but, rats, I am 100% sure this is also asbestos. There are also folded pads of it tucked in where ducts pass over the support beams. Those I removed and sent off with the floor tiles for proper disposal. The duct joints look like they could be taped over, but the more frayed stuff is around the floor vents, between the vent and the wood floor are what I am most concerned about.

[blitz]

nah, just wet them and use some glove and mask...lol u only get asbetosis if you're exposed to it for long period of time. it make great fire retardant anyway.

[pauls heating &]

soak em till they drip..soak again..water is your friend

[wgrr]

Have it tested. There were other products back in the 60's that look like asbestos tape for sealing duct work that contain no asbestos. I have heard some old timers call it wheat tape.

Asbestos is harmful if you are exposed to it in large amounts on a regular basis. It has to be friable. You would have had to have ground your floor tile up and snorted it for there to even be a remote chance that you would get asbetosis or mesothelioma.

I am exposed to asbestos everyday in the old phone company buildings I work in. As long as it is not friable, and you do not disturb it, asbestos won't hurt you.

[Schlitz]

Unless you think the duct seams are compromised it's highly unlikely that you are exposed to any fiber release through the ductwork. Wet any exposed insulation and enclose it back up in the ceiling by putting the drywall back up. You can also consult an abatement contractor to apply encapsulant (if you want to avoid the cost of removing it for now, I wouldn't bother with it until you need work done with the ducts) before it gets enclosed again.
Most contractors tend to downplay the levity of asbestos exposure (one fiber theory versus long-term exposure, neither one's good but you'd be surprised that your body has natural defenses), depending on the application, in this case thermal, the composition may be as much as 80% asbestos content. And then as many as a million fibers can fit on the edge of a pin. There is no safe exposure, only a defined Permissible Exposure Limit.
So enclose it back up, remember to wet it before you potentially disturb anything (a few drops of regular dish soap to the water also helps the material absorb better). Otherwise, call an abatement contractor to help explain your options.

[akimbo]

Thanks Schlitz, Paul and others. Your thoughtful replies inspired me to brave some repairs (wearing a respirator). I've spent the last two days carefully wetting all the exposed asbestos at the vent openings and infusing via eye-dropper any accessible areas with water-based varathane to make it less friable. Anything that was loose, I've soaked and removed. Once dry, I taped over any areas with metal foil tape. Will do the same with the duct seams. It's pain staking work, but I will be able to sleep better knowing I did everything possible.

I was exposed to formaldehyde and benzene (all within PEL) at work and have long term illness as a result. I do believe that only one asbestos fiber lodged in the lung is enough to cause mesothelioma. History has proven time and time again that we need to pay attention to the safe handling of materials. Thanks again.

[Schlitz]

Not a problem at all, like they say an ounce of prevention...

What else works great is the duct mastic we use to seal HVAC ducts, I think now they even sell it at Home Depot if you don't go to the supply house. If you see any frayed or damaged lining, wet it with a spray bottle then paint on duct mastic coating. It will encapsulate the friable exposed area and you can address the material while it's still wet :D

[pauls heating &]

one of my friends is a union insulator...
hes done a ton of abatement...main thing he said just wet..wet..wet..and wet it again...as long as its soaking wet your ok...