# Asbestos Duct Wrap



## Big Bob (Jul 27, 2007)

call your local landfill for requirements. Odds are you won't need certification, but will need to follow friable rules... double sealed 6 mil poly..labeling.. & transport procedures.


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## jogr (Jul 24, 2007)

jvc, be real careful with that stuff. You could save a few bucks now and end up with lung cancer. Be absolutely sure you know learn the safe way to remove it without contaminating your home.

You may also be able to encapsulate it. In fact I don't think it is very expensive to have a professional abatement company come in and encapsulate it rather than remove it. 

I encourage you to check with some local abatement companies to get their opinion on the least expensive safe option.


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## jvc120er (Jan 24, 2008)

Thanks for the replys, I was planning on wetting the whole thing down and then closing it in with plastic and then rip it down.

If the government tax rebate thing goes into effect I might use the extra 600 bucks they are throwing my way on this stuff!


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## jogr (Jul 24, 2007)

It can be difficult to wet out. The fibers tend to cause the water to bead up (surface tension) and if you don't get it thoroughly wet you'll have fibers in the air which is very bad!!!. You'll need to use a good wetting agent (a low sudsing soap/detergent). 
If you do this yourself find out the exact step by step correct procedure for this as well as the correct safety gear to wear and the correct enclosure requirements.

You may find that diy encapsulation is a better option if you can get the right directions.


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## Big Bob (Jul 27, 2007)

It may not rip off that easy. YOU WILL FIND AREAS that are stuck tight and will take a lot of scraping to remove. Murphy's law ..these areas will be very hard to reach.

99% sure? does this look like thick 1/8" gray paper? or light gray flaky card board? then it probably is an ASBestos product.


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## bigMikeB (May 31, 2007)

jogr said:


> jvc, be real careful with that stuff. You could save a few bucks now and end up with lung cancer. Be absolutely sure you know learn the safe way to remove it without contaminating your home.
> 
> 
> Do you really believe one time exposure to asbestos will give the guy lung cancer? Let's not panic here. He should close off the area and wear a mask, I doubt he's stupid.


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## jogr (Jul 24, 2007)

Yes, I really believe one time exposure could cause lung cancer because once in the lung it is there forever. 

No panic here, I didn't even tell him not to do it, in fact I gave him advice about wetting it. I just wanted to encourage him to be sure he understands how to do it safely.

BigMike, my FIL was a union pipefitter and plumber who died from mesothelioma caused by his occasional on the job asbestos exposure. I understand that jvc will not be exposed to it as frequently as my FIL (unless he contaminates his house while removing it) but because of this experience I have also studied it enough to learn that even a one time exposure can cause cancer because the lungs cannot clear the fibers.

As a union HVAC tech I would hope that the union has given you training in the hazards of asbestos as you are certainly apt to have some possibility of exposure. You are right that it's not a reason for panic but it should be taken very seriously.


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## bigMikeB (May 31, 2007)

I was raised in a family plumbing business. I have been around asbestos since I was a child, I used to mix it by hand in a wheelbarrow to plaster on boilers and piping. Yes, I have had training about it since and learned better. But back in the day that was the way you did things. I have been tested and currently have no bad signs. I think you need way more exposure than just one small job. Sorry to hear about your FIL, two of my uncles died from it as well. What local was your FIL in?


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## jogr (Jul 24, 2007)

It's something how things that are suppose to be so dangerous today were not of any concern not that long ago. I used to melt lead and pour lead soldiers as a kid and now folks are in a panic if there is lead in a plastic toy. In school labs we used asbestos gloves and worked with benzene. 

I don't recall the local my FIL was in. It was across the river from St. Louis in the metro east area. He passed away 20 years ago. He taught me to solder copper supply lines and even how to lead cast iron DWV. I have all his old leading tools. He naturally had a boiler and radiant heat in his house. The radiant was mostly copper pipe in plaster ceilings but in the floor in the bathroom.

Watching him come home from work all worn out also taught me to stay in school. Hope that doesn't sound wrong. I have the utmost respect for guys that can do that kind of physical labor their whole life but I could see what kind of toll it took and that convinced me to pursue a less physical career.


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## efrin (Feb 27, 2008)

As a homeowner of single family residence, you are not regulated like an abatement contractor. You can dispose of the material as general waste. I do recommend you be nice to your neighbors and bag the material and seal the bag with duct tape. You can safely and easily remove the suspect asbestos material. You should probably wear a dust mask or respirator with a HEPA filter (P100) cartridge and disposable coveralls. If you keep the material adequately wet it should not be a problem removing the tape. Put a plastic drop under the work area. Fill a spray bottle with water and few drops of soap. The soap will allow the water to soak into the asbestos wrap. When adequately wet. Use a scraper to remove the wrap. the asbestos wrap should peel off rather easily. Try to bag the waste as you scrape to decrease cleaning afterward. Continue wetting as you scrape. Wipe the area with a wet rag and your done. Bag all waste materials (asbestos, rags, plastic, coveralls, dust mask or filters). Seal the waste bags with tape and dispose as general waste. 

things you should not do: Dry sweep, vacuum (unless you plan on throwing out the vacuum), and remove the wrap dry. Scrape and wet the material at the same time. that should keep the fiber levels low.


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## davesmith7 (Mar 16, 2008)

Can you legally dispose of asbestos in a safe manner through your regular trash hauler in any state? My guess is that you can't. I plan to wrap it in several layers of black plastic in order to protect anyone who handles it and send it with the rest of the trash. Any suggestions on how to clean up the mess where you are removing the asbestos? Will wet mopping alone do the trick?


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## billie_t (Feb 17, 2008)

one time exposer can (but slimmer chance) cause cancer...but in your home it could very well be continuous exposer if not handled properly....asbestos can be airborn with out you seeing dust..asbestos fibres ar 1000 times thinner than a human hair if you knock a little loose it may stay airborn just from the breeze of your hot air furnace. or if you vacume there is a high probobility it will pass right through the bag and out the exaust.. just brushing against it can set it free into the air if it is already frayed

i am not sure if i would try and remove it or put another kind of tape over it and seal it in

perhaps you could wet and remove (while using a resperator) and then retape without scraping what stays behind...put plastic down on the floor and also on top of the plastic..put an old blanket you can dispose of..(wet the blanket as well to trap anything that falls to the floor) buy a pair of paper coveralls you can throw away when you are done too

shower immediately after you are done

and do what ever else you can think of to eliminate any risk you can of sucking in one fibre

like the guy who wrote he mixed it when he was young and has no ill effects..i hope he stays that way..but two of his uncles died from it....that is how it works...you can breath a bushel and it may never harm you..or you could breath one fibre and in 25 years it will kill you...and it is (from what I read and talked to those whom have had a loved one die from it) a very painful ending


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## jogr (Jul 24, 2007)

davesmith7 said:


> Any suggestions on how to clean up the mess where you are removing the asbestos? Will wet mopping alone do the trick?


You have to remove it in such a way that you never make a mess to clean up. The idea is to never give the asbestos a chance to disperse. It has to be wet thoroughly with a wetting agent and water. The wetting agent is critical. Water alone has too much surface tension to wet asbestos well. 

You must isolate the area you are cleaning up. Put down heavy plastic sheeating 6 mil or more so that anything that falls can be wrapped up. Make sure you don't tear the sheating and make sure you don't track any residue into your house on the bottom of your shoes.

This is something you should study up on very thoroughly before you start. You need to have a lot more info than is in this forum to do it right.


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## vagabound (Apr 13, 2009)

*asbestos*

I have 60 feet of asbestos pipe insulation in my basement.I want to leave it as is ,but want to rewrap it . where can i get the wrap [tape]. vagabound.


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## A3 abatement (May 28, 2011)

Hi gentleman and ladies... my suggestion is to hire abatement work out, especially if you have never done it. I am air quality control specialist and I do abatement work. If you absolutely feel you need to do this work yourself please follow these steps and you can find them anywhere.

1.) lay 6 mil poly sheeting on the floor where you plan on doing the asbestos removal, tape it together at the seals with duct tape.bring it about 12" up the wall and leave it loose enough so you don't tear it while your working.then lay a second layer that is nor sealed.

2.) cover the walls of the area with 3 mill poly sheet. again seal all seams with duct tape.

3.) make entrance exit, double sheet this wall cut a slit in it and take a piece5 feet wide and make a flap to cover the slit.

4.) outside the entrance make a containment room big enough for you to remove clothing that we will talk about in a minute

5. tools and safety gear you will need: Respirator with hepa filters( you should be fit test with this to ensure proper fit), rubber gloves, eubber boots, goggles ,tyvek suits with hoods and booties attached, rags, sprayer or spray bottle with water and 1/5 detergent, scraper and lots of plastic bags( 6 MIl contractor bags), and asbestos (labels), stickers.

6.)put on the rubber boots, and the gloves put on the tyvek suit hood down, tape suit to gloves and boots creating a seal, put on respirator and goggles then pull hood over respirator

7.) enter the room that you have made to do work in, bring all your tools with you

8.) thouroughly wet all tof the insulation that you will be scraping off and keep it wet.

as you remove pieces of the esbestos wrap dispose into plastic bags. when bags are full twist the tops fold the top in half and tape with duct tape , continue this process until you are completely done then wipe done all areas wear asbestos wasback your self out of the room into the containment area spray all of the disposal bags off thoroughly and set them outside the conatinment room on plastic go back into work room and spray walls then . take loose floor platic and dispose of in bags . step into contain ment bring the last of the garbage with ouy wet down and wipe garbage setting outside of room on platisspray yourself off completely and spray and wipe tools with clean rags setting them outside of room remove hood wipe gogles while on your face and respirator romove rubber boots and gloves and step out of room collapse containment folding from outside in word SLOWLY and do the same with the work room bags plastic remove your respirator and goggles throw your respirator cartridges in disposal bags and seal...label and bring to approve transfer or dump station... then you are done.... by the way depending on the individual and there health determines how much exposure can cause mesothelioma or lung cancer....so just don't expose yoursel;f is the solution....


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## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

This thread originated Jan 2008.

Start a new thread if you want to talk about asbestos.


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