How Do You Safely Remove Asbestos Ducting

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While nosotros tend to think of asbestos as a thing of the by, the unfortunate truth is that it's still oftentimes found in older homes and commercial buildings. In fact, while the US government has placed heavy restrictions on the use and manufacture of asbestos, information technology's yet non fully illegal, and then manufacturers still use it to make some insulation, gaskets, covering materials, and other common building materials. The EPA attempted to ban asbestos in 1989 with the Asbestos Ban and Phase-Out Rule , simply the ban was overturned in 1991 afterwards trigger-happy pushback from the asbestos industry.

The result is that asbestos, while rare, is still nowadays in some homes and businesses, especially ones that were built before the 1980s. Asbestos is dangerous everywhere, but it's especially hazardous if it makes its fashion into your HVAC system. Before the '80s, information technology was normally used every bit insulation for heating ducts, and many old houses yet take asbestos insulation around the ducts. If any of the fibers make information technology into the ducts themselves, they can go into the air and potentially cause dangerous health problems for you and your family. If you observe asbestos anywhere in or near your HVAC system, you should contact a professional person to handle the abatement as soon as possible.

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a naturally-occurring gristly mineral plant all over the earth in rock deposits. While it might look similar a regular rock, asbestos is really made upwardly of long, fibrous crystals that await a little similar a brush when it's been mined. These fibers are extremely thin and flexible merely are also highly resistant to oestrus, corrosion, and electricity. These qualities make asbestos useful as a edifice fabric, but, as nosotros would later on observe, besides brand it dangerous to exist around.

While asbestos has been found in clay pots dating back to the Rock Age, information technology was the Greeks who first documented its use. The word "asbestos" is a transliteration of an ancient Greek word that means "unquenchable" or "inextinguishable," referring to its early use as a material for wicks that would never burn down up. The Greeks as well used asbestos to make other flexible objects, similar napkins or tablecloths, that they wanted to be fire-resistant. Ancient people also used asbestos to make funeral shrouds for their kings, to keep their ashes separate from the woods ashes after cremation.

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In the 19th century, asbestos was the target of big-calibration industrial mining for the first time. Though asbestos-laced fireproof wearing apparel and napkins failed to sell, business owners presently realized how useful the mineral could exist for construction, and by the early on 1900s, the vast majority of homes were built with asbestos-coated bricks, concrete, insulation, and other materials.

The chemical qualities of asbestos go far perfect for use in structure and other industries. Asbestos fibers are flexible plenty to be woven into dress or fabric just are stronger than cotton, rayon, or nylon. Asbestos is completely not-combustible and not-combustible and has a melting bespeak of 1600 degrees. In the early 20th century, asbestos was used in specialized gear to protect firefighters and was also used in household goods like toasters, ovens, and ironing lath covers.

However, in the 1890s, information technology was discovered that asbestos dust was potentially dangerous if inhaled. Large-scale studies were performed in the 1930s making a connectedness between asbestos exposure and long-term health effects, but information technology wasn't until the 1970s that the US government began to act. In fact, court documents take been uncovered that prove government officials knew virtually the health risks of asbestos for almost 40 years earlier finally making that data public. For that reason, asbestos continued to be used in construction until the 1980s.

The Risks of Asbestos

While the sparse, flexible fibers of asbestos make information technology perfect for manufacturing, they likewise contribute to making asbestos exposure so dangerous. Each cobweb is made up of microscopic "fibrils." When air is blown over the fibers or something brushes across them, these fibrils are released into the air in a cloud of grit. If inhaled, the fibers in asbestos grit can become permanently lodged in your lungs. Over a period of years, the asbestos fibers cause inflammation, scarring, and even genetic damage to your lung tissue. Because the symptoms of asbestos exposure tin can take decades to appear, y'all may not know that information technology's happening until it'due south too late. That's why information technology's then important to test your home and place of business for asbestos every bit soon as you move in.

Asbestosis

The most common condition caused by asbestos is asbestosis, which refers to scarring and inflammation of the lungs acquired by inhaled asbestos fibers. When the fibers are inhaled, they make their way to the air sacs and embed themselves in the tissue there. This causes irritation and your lungs can become inflamed due to the autoimmune response to the fibers. This is more often than not chronic, and the inflammation will gradually increase over time as your torso tries to destroy the asbestos fibers.

As asbestosis progresses, scarring in the tissue of your lungs will cause the walls to thicken, preventing oxygen from crossing into your bloodstream. This causes the patient to experience shortness of breath, the about common symptom of asbestosis. Typically, a doctor can discover asbestosis by listening to your lungs with a stethoscope. If the condition is detected, the only treatment is oxygen therapy and immediately stopping all exposure to brand sure it doesn't become worse.

Mesothelioma

You've probably heard the word "mesothelioma" used earlier in connexion to asbestos exposure. It refers to cancer in the lining of your lungs, caused almost exclusively by asbestos. Current evidence suggests that the asbestos fibers themselves are carcinogenic, and tin cause a tumor to grow on your lungs.

Unfortunately, mesothelioma is extremely resistant to radiation, making chemotherapy ineffective in most cases. Because the tumor well-nigh commonly grows on lung tissue, surgery is usually too risky. Doctors are still trying to find more constructive treatments for mesothelioma, but, for now, your best bet is to avoid any exposure to asbestos equally much equally you can.

Detecting Asbestos

When moving into a new business firm or place of business, one of the showtime things you should do is check for asbestos, especially if the building was built earlier the '80s. When information technology comes to HVAC, asbestos can exist found in the ducts themselves, the insulation around them, and in duct dampeners wrapped effectually any corners or turns in the ductwork. As a full general rule, if you think the ducts in your home were added before the '80s, just assume they accept asbestos. Information technology was so common in building materials that you tin safely bet that anything installed before the '80s has asbestos, no affair what it is.

When looking for asbestos, be on the spotter for any white, paper-similar substance wrapped around the ducts. This insulation is the most common source of asbestos in HVAC systems. We recommend hiring a professional to look around and collect samples merely to be prophylactic, but your level of risk will depend on the historic period of the firm and the HVAC system. Here's a list of HVAC manufacturers that used to include asbestos in their products:

W.R. Grace Corporation
J-M Manufacturing Co.
Georgia-Pacific
Duro Dyne
H.B. Fuller
Turner & Newall
Johns Manville
Rich Tex Inc.
Celotex
Grant Wilson
Nicolet

If your ducts were congenital past whatsoever of these companies, it'south worth bringing someone in to check for asbestos. It's better to be condom than sorry.

Air Quality Tests

If you lot're concerned nearly the presence of asbestos in your habitation or business, you tin can have the air quality tested. When testing for asbestos, an air quality professional will use a process called Transmission Electron Microscopy to capture and detect fifty-fifty the finest asbestos fibers in the air. Gathering the grit and sampling the air can take upward to 8 hours, but it's important to exist thorough and brand sure you're testing as fully as possible. If even a little asbestos is detected, you should immediately leave the edifice and stay with a friend or neighbour until the asbestos abatement process has been completed. In that location is no "safe" level of asbestos exposure, and living in a home with asbestos for even a trivial while can cause damage to your lungs.

If your air quality test comes dorsum as "good" but y'all retrieve y'all've discovered asbestos in your HVAC system, you should call an HVAC practiced immediately. Even if the fibers aren't currently in your airflow, the slightest breeze or someone brushing against them can release them. Once more, there's no such affair equally a "rubber" exposure to asbestos, so making sure yous stay on top of detection is extremely of import. If you suspect you may have establish asbestos in your home, you lot can collect a sample and take it tested by a lab. However, nosotros recommend bringing in a professional to assist you take samples merely to be safety. An asbestos inspector tin also check other parts of your home to make certain there isn't asbestos elsewhere as well.

How Asbestos Abatement Works

Generally, asbestos abatement will mean removing the asbestos from your home entirely. For HVAC, that generally involves removing the insulation around the ducts, although sometimes replacing the ducts themselves is required. Asbestos can as well sometimes be institute in duct tape used to go along a tight seal when the ducts are connected together. This process can be both lengthy and costly, merely information technology'south necessary to forbid wellness risks to yous and your family. When abating asbestos, any professional will follow the same few steps:

Creating a work programme – Before starting work, a contractor or other abatement worker volition showtime come upward with a plan. The plan should detail any and all piece of work that volition exist washed, besides equally all the relevant codes and laws the contractor has to obey. Make sure to have a wait at the plan before work begins then you're not surprised. Asbestos abatement tin sometimes require some demolition, so it's good to know what to expect going in.

Setting up the piece of work expanse – Start, whatsoever occupants of the building will accept to leave until the process is complete. That means you lot, your family unit, and whatsoever pets you might have. The procedure can accept some time, and then make sure you lot take somewhere to stay. And then, the contractor will seal off whatever a

ir ducts, plow off the HVAC system, and cover all doors and windows with plastic and filtration systems. If the work is isolated to a single area, like the attic, that area will be sealed off from the balance of the building.

Removing material – Once the area has been sealed off, the contractor volition employ tools to remove whatever materials in your dwelling house that comprise asbestos. Because asbestos blanket mostly can't exist removed from another fabric, the entire piece has to be removed. Any asbestos-containing materials volition be placed in special disposal numberless and removed through a decontamination unit.

HEPA vacuuming and clean-upward – Once the work has been completed, special vacuum units are set to remove all traces of asbestos from the air. Everything inside the work surface area is thoroughly cleaned and vacuumed to make sure no asbestos is left behind, and then the piece of work site will be taken down. In commercial buildings, the contractor unremarkably conducts a few more tests and inspections before the building is re-opened, but that's not always done for homes. Upon final completion, the building owner receives a full report including every test and all the piece of work the contractor did. You should hang on to this report, especially if you plan on e'er selling your house.

How Much Does Asbestos Abatement Toll?

The toll of the abatement can vary wildly depending on what needs to be removed. More often than not, the inspections both before and subsequently piece of work will cost betwixt $300 and $600 each, depending on the size of the building. Once work begins, the abatement process can cost anywhere from $ii,000 to $xv,000 for an average-sized house. The cost will depend heavily on which materials need to be removed. Removing asbestos-treated pipes and ducts, for case, will run y'all between $2,000 and $4,000, while stripping asbestos siding tin toll upwardly to $15,000. All told the cost volition be between about $iii,000 and $20,000. That's a highly variable number, just there's actually no way to know until the inspection has been done.

Asbestos Repair vs Removal

If full asbestos removal isn't possible, or if the cost is prohibitive, you can as well consider a procedure called asbestos encapsulation . With this process, any materials containing asbestos volition be covered instead of beingness removed completely. Encapsulation is less expensive than full removal, which makes it an bonny selection for homeowners trying to save a little coin on their asbestos treatment. If you choose this method, high-quality sealant or concrete is sprayed on the asbestos, covering it completely and preventing the fibers from being released into the air. Encapsulation is just every bit constructive as total removal, merely it comes with its own issues.

If you encapsulate your asbestos-covered materials, the asbestos doesn't become abroad, information technology's notwithstanding there underneath the sealant. That means yous'll accept to re-do the entire process every once in a while since the sealant can pause down over fourth dimension. Encapsulation might be less expensive in the curt term, simply the costs can start to add together up if yous're living in the same house for a long time. This can also be a problem if you want to sell your house. Many buyers would adopt a house with no asbestos at all, and the encapsulation can go a sticking point for a potential sale.

Nosotros recommend full abatement for HVAC systems rather than encapsulation. Non only is removal a safer, more permanent solution, but encapsulation can make accessing your ducts hard when you need to repair them. If there's one place in your home that you really don't want asbestos present, it'south in your HVAC system. Ducts travel all through your house, then any asbestos particles can be spread to every room if they come up costless. For the sake of your peace of mind, we strongly recommend going through a full asbestos abatement if you discover asbestos anywhere in your HVAC system – even if your air quality tests as "practiced."

Tips on Hiring an Asbestos Abatement Contractor

Similar with whatsoever merchandise professional person, hiring an asbestos contractor can seem a little daunting. However, it's important that you discover the correct 1 to handle your dwelling house or identify of business. Here are a few things we suggest considering when you're making your decision:

Licensing – The first thing you should do when speaking to a contractor is ask if they're licensed to perform asbestos-related piece of work by the state. In California, a licensed contractor has to undergo asbestos training with the Division of Occupational Prophylactic and Health (DOSH), equally well every bit have at least four years of feel working with asbestos. You don't legally have to hire a licensed contractor for your work, simply nosotros highly recommend it, especially when you're dealing with something as dangerous as asbestos.

Cost – If you've already had your dwelling or business inspected for asbestos and you know which areas need to exist worked on, y'all should have all the information you need to get an accurate pricing estimate. An experienced and capable contractor should exist able to look at the inspection record and the size of your house and become a general idea of what the price volition be. If a prospective contractor is unwilling to be upward-front well-nigh the toll, that can be a carmine flag.

References – Any reputable contractor, asbestos-related or otherwise, should be able to nowadays y'all with a list of references if requested. Select at to the lowest degree 3 references and contact them. Ask if they're satisfied with the work they received as well as the cost. If a contractor is unable to offer references, they're likely lacking in feel. That doesn't necessarily mean they'll do a bad job, merely it's usually a better idea to look for someone experienced.

If you lot take the time, we recommend getting bids from more 1 contractor and so yous tin compare. Make certain to describe the work in the aforementioned terms each fourth dimension and so it'southward easier to compare estimates, and let each contractor have a await at your building if they desire to. Yous'll get a much more authentic bid if the contractor tin see the site for themselves. We besides recommend getting a copy of a written work plan from each contractor so yous have the full picture. Along with the piece of work plan, request copies of their California asbestos contractor'southward license, certifications for any supervisors or workers who will exist on the site, and, if the process has already begun, any exam results or permits acquired by the contractor.

Which Option is Right For Yous?

If you lot notice any sign of asbestos, even if the air quality test comes back alright, nosotros recommend getting your home inspected. If the inspector finds asbestos in your HVAC organisation, we do recommend a total abatement, although encapsulation tin exist effective in certain situations as well. Encapsulation can be catchy with HVAC systems since the sealant makes accessing the ducts difficult when the fourth dimension comes to repair them. HVAC systems are also vulnerable spots for asbestos since the organisation can blow the asbestos fibers all through your business firm. Despite the known link betwixt asbestos and conditions similar asbestosis and mesothelioma, asbestos is still legal to manufacture and use in the Usa, which means it can popular up here and there in older houses. A full inspection, while a fiddling pricey, is the best way to make sure there isn't any asbestos lurking in your attic or in the ducts.

If you have any questions well-nigh asbestos or other HVAC-related concerns, you can contact us or give u.s.a. a phone call at (707) 329-4120. We've been serving Sonoma, Napa, and Marin counties for years at present, and nosotros think you'll be satisfied with our superior customer service and workmanship.