Asbestos duct tape reporting

[hspinnler]

Just wondering how others write up the white duct tape that appears to be Asbestos tape on metal air ducts? Tape intact vs. tape loose or torn. Any comments would be helpful. Recommend Further eval by licensed HVAC or Asbestos testing company? Thanks.

[rwand1]

Asbestos like material, confirmation required by laboratory testing.

[Joseph Hagarty]

Originally Posted by hspinnler

Just wondering how others write up the white duct tape that appears to be Asbestos tape on metal air ducts? Tape intact vs. tape loose or torn. Any comments would be helpful. Recommend Further eval by licensed HVAC or Asbestos testing company? Thanks.

I have not encountered a white asbestos tape.

Generally encountered in this area is a Asbestos Sheet covering of the HVAC Duct.

Dependant upon age of the Structure, the asbestos will be on the Interior or the Exterior of the HVAC Duct.

Insulation with the Appearance and Characteristics of Asbestos requires further Review and/or Remediation prior to closing of escrow.

[Brian E. Kelly]

What the other guys said.

Tape Pictures

[Erby Crofutt]

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The white tape at the air conditioning duct joints is what appears to be an asbestos containing material. The only way to definitively identify it as asbestos containing material is through laboratory testing.

I recommend that you contact a qualified asbestos abatement contractor to determine the best method to positively determine whether or not the material contains asbestos, determine the best repair method, estimate costs, and perform the necessary repairs.

Contractors may be found by looking in the yellow pages under "Asbestos Abatement"

ASBESTOS CARE & REMOVAL

First don’t panic and walk away from the purchase of a good home, just because it MAY have some asbestos containing material in it. Educate yourself about the asbestos issues.
There are many sources of information available:
The library, the internet, government agencies, and asbestos abatement contractors are a few.

There are two primary methods of dealing with asbestos containing material:
Encapsulation (seal it up in place)
Abatement (removing it)
Remember that asbestos abatement contractors make their living removing asbestos and may have a personal interest in convincing you to remove it.

According to the State of Kentucky’s Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet, Division for Air Quality web site, there are no regulations on asbestos removal in "residential use homes and apartment buildings having no more than four dwelling units".
Web Site Address: http://www.air.ky.gov.daqhome.html .
Look for Asbestos information.

Remember that this issue may come back again when you decide to sell the house. Educate yourself about asbestos before dealing with this issue.
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[Ada Wakeman]

I didn’t hear about this type of asbestos. All I know is that the blue asbestos is the most dangerous now. For more information you should check an Asbestos Lawsuit site. Usually they post all the information related to asbestos.

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

This is what I say about it in a crawl. You can modify it to suit your needs, if you want.

"The crawl space is thought to be contaminated with an asbestos containing material (ACM). Only a laboratory analysis can absolutely confirm the presence of asbestos, but our experience tells us that the probability of it being an ACM is high. There is no health hazard associated with asbestos unless it is inhaled. Grinding or other mechanical contact, or simply entering the crawl space should not be performed without the use of proper personal protective equipment. Additionally, the disposal of this material is likely regulated by local, state, or the Federal government and you may wish to research the financial implications of its disposal if you think it will be replaced."

[Darren Spencer]

I would offer the client a complete Asbestos inspection. Do we tell owners that the home may contain Radon? or do we test for it?

[Jonathan N. Leahy]

I just want to add the following. As home inspectors, we need to be very careful discussing asbestos with clients. If you suspect something is asbestos containing, the terminology should be "suspect asbestos containing material/suspect asbestos containing building material" as applicable. Be very careful offering an asbestos inspection to a client. Most states require a minimum of an EPA certification for asbestos building inspector (which also has an annual refresher course). Many states also require a State Certification, like Colorado, as well (renewed annually).
Check with your respective State Health Departments for requirements for asbestos building inspectors.

Thanks

Jonathan
Jonathan N. Leahy
President
A Rock Solid Home Inspection, LLC.
www.arocksolidhome.com
303-718-7779
US EPA Certified Asbestos Building Inspector
State of Colorado Asbestos Building Inspector
Residential Home Inspections, Asbestos Inspections, Radon, Mold Inspections