When Possible Asbestos is Found

Last week we performed a residential Home Inspection at a home built in 1968. Prior to 1980 the predecessors of today's grey or silver "duck" or duct tapes often contained asbestos.  The old tapes were generally pale or white in color and had a papery look to them.  Not all of the white papery tapes contained asbestos and so a lab test is the only way to be 100% certain.  Joints on heating ducts were common locations for asbestos. Torn or deteriorated tape is of particular concern as this indicates that fibers are more likely to become airborne where they can travel, enter the lungs and cause their trouble. There are a few ways to take care of the problem.  The safest and best way is to hire a professional to perform asbestos testing and, if necessary, remove or encapsulate the asbestos.  Many times outright removal can have the unwanted result of breaking the fibers and releasing them into the air, so this work must be performed by a professional. Because of the the difficulty of containing all the fibers and disposing of them properly removal can be expensive. Often, outright removal is not the preferred method. In such cases the tape is covered with an encapsulant to ensure the asbestos does not escape.  If you are a buyer, seller, or home owner and suspect that your home contains asbestos, contact us to perform an asbestos inspection.