Is this an asbestos HVAC boot cover?
rhamm05
| Posted in General Questions on
Hi!
My wife and I just closed on our home. I was down in the basement, putting some aluminum tape to cover some old HVAC tape our inspector believed some asbestos. And I noticed the attached HVAC boot.
This looks like an asbestos covering to me… But I want to see if there’s a way to encapsulate rather than remove. Would spraying something like Gorilla’s Patch and Seal Spray seal it well enough to be safe? There’s no indication I can tell that it’s anywhere inside the venting at all.
Thanks!
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This thread may be helpful: https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/question/asbestos-on-duct-boots-remove-or-encapsulate
That's how I landed on this site actually! But it didn't really have a suggestion other than to use the asbestos contractor the asker already has coming... as far as I know the ducts don't have tape inside of them, so I'm not needing to remove the actual ducts. I'm just trying to figure out if encapsulation is even an option. Thank you for your response!
Rhammo5,
If you read sites such as https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Duct_Asbestos.php, you already know this is a potential hazard (assuming there is asbestos). If it were my house, I'd be concerned since the boot and tape both appear to have some damage and there may be exposed fibers on the inside of the duct.
No one on the internet can give you a definitive answer only a laboratory with a sample under the microscope.
Is your real estate market so hot that you chose to proceed without getting it tested?
Walta
The stuff I've dealt with is very receptive to moisture, so I don't know why any water-based paint or similar wouldn't bind the particles and keep them from getting airborne. On the other hand, it's very easy to safely remove yourself, using a spray bottle with soapy water and a scraper.