Questions & answers on asbestos paper or cloth HVAC duct wrap identification & handling:

FAQs on asbestos paper on air ducts.

This article series describes the difference between asbestos paper wrap or duct seal, asbestos pipe insulation, and hardcast asbestos lagging or plaster used on boilers and pipe joints. We discuss the PACM designation for asbestos materials and we offer general advice for options in handling asbestos paper duct seal and wrap.

Asbestos on HVAC Ducts, FAQs

These questions & answers on asbestos found on heating and air conditioning ducts were posted originally at ASBESTOS PAPER DUCT INSULATION - be sure to review that article.

[Click to enlarge any image]

On 2022-06-18 by Jonathan H

@InspectApedia-911, Many Thanks!

On 2022-06-18 by InspectApedia-911 (mod) - remedies for air ducts wrapped with asbestos paper

@Jonathan H,

As we think that those air ducts are at least in part wrapped with asbestos paper, it would be smart not to create dust from that material.

I wouldn't start peeling things off.

It's perfectly okay to add an exterior wrap if the ducts are acceptable.

The tape on the exterior of a supply duct is on the outside of a duct that's under pressure and therefore unlikely to be drawing any measurable asbestos into the delivery air.

I feel a little different about the asbestos risk for return air ducts that are under negative pressure.

Sometimes it's less expensive to remove a section of ductwork intact and replace it entirely than to start or cause the need for an asbestos remediation job that tries to leave the ducts in place.

On 2022-06-17 by Jonathan H

Hello - Due to an unrelated plumbing issue, I've been able to see ducting that I suspect has asbestos in it. Southern California 1964 2 storey house. Vertical duct with sheathing separation.

Upon moving in a year ago, the roof ducting was replaced but not the lower level that was inaccessible at the time. Airflow is poor to the upstairs and I can feel many drafts through this plumbing access, so I assume (and can see in places) some ducting holes. It looks to be metal ducts wrapped with a silver ribbed fiber glass or cardboard looking material which is secured by old white or cream tape which I've been told is probably asbestos containing.

The vertical duct to the 2nd floor has a large section of the ribbed material completely loose from the pipe. I assume that material is for insulation, not air pressure? I'd like to rewrap using aluminum tape after pulling all the ineffective grey plastic duct tape off, but doing that is pulling off the white suspect tape. Perhaps spraying some kind of sealant in those areas before adding the foil tape over it is the way to go, but I'd have to leave the plastic duct tape.

It would be good to have a stab at tightening up the airflow somewhat for a stopgap measure. The entire AC system needs replacing, which is when I could deal with the 1st floor ducting abatement in a couple of years. For now though, my wife wants these holes patched and painted, so I'm wondering what I can do now.. I'm also thinking about getting in an asbestos air testing company to test the air quality at the returns, just in case. Thanks

...

On 2022-05-31 by InspectApedia-911 (mod) - 1952 Wisconsin asbestos paper

@Anonymous,

It is reasonable to assume that that is an asbestos paper. If only a small amount is exposed to view you might simply spray-painted. As long as the papers on the exterior of Supply ducts and is protected from damage then it's not likely to be a detectable hazard in a building.

On 2022-05-31 by Anonymous

Home is 1952 and is in Wisconsin and yes it is on the ductwork in the wall for the vent. It is wrapped around the duct work in the wall.

On 2022-05-31 by InspectApedia-911 (mod)

@Does this look like asbestos,

Yes, please tell me the age of the building and its location, and confirm that this paper is on ductwork

On 2022-05-30 by Does this look like asbestos

This is wrapped on an air duct in the wall, vertical. I sprayed with water to cut a piece out to send for testing and when cutting it just moved like wet paper.

On 2021-12-28 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator

@Anna,

Yes I want to see the ducts

On 2021-12-28 by Anna

@Inspectapedia Com Moderator, thank you kindly for the prompt reply. I’m not sure as to the age of the material, but the house is from 1921, just outside of Seattle, WA. Not sure if ducts are the original — they are made out of metal and are rectangular if that helps the dating.

The material is thicker than paper, more like a sanding paper thickness but really dry due to heat exposure. Please let me know what you mean by a photo of the source — do you mean the location where I took this piece of material from from? Thank you again!

On 2021-12-28 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator

@Anna,

The asbestos paper duct wrap I've seen is white or gray - but I cannot say what your material is;

Knowing more about the age of the material and its country and city of location would be helpful as would be seeing a photo of the source.

On 2021-12-28 by Anna

Found some black ‘paper’ pieces where heating duct ends and sits against the floor joist (saw after removing the heating registrar drill for painting). The ‘paper’ is unsurprisingly really dry and looks really old. Concerned if it could contain asbestos given its exposure to airflow. Would appreciate any input!

On 2021-12-24 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator

@Replace entire HVAC system?,

Thank you for that follow-up that will help other readers.

Indeed an essential point about asbestos-wrapped ductwork is that it is generally less costly to remove the duct intact, in sections, than it would be to pay someone to try to remove the asbestos wrap.

I'm also glad that we don't have asbestos wrap on the return air ducts as those are generally under negative pressure so that if there were a hole or opening in the ductwork that exposed the asbestos wrap, there could be some possibility of pulling a bit of that into the airstream.

Protect the duct wrap material from damage.

On 2021-12-24 by Replace entire HVAC system?

@Inspectapedia Com Moderator, thanks for the balanced advice!

We just got two HVAC companies to come look, and all of them recommended to change(no surprise), prices varied wildly from $7K to $15K (metal ducts). I suspect your feedback on "urgency" impacted the quote.

This is my personal home we just bought and I don't expect to disturb them. The only concern is that it that those ducts are exposed in the garage which we use frequently.

I'm going to do a quick wipe down with a damp rag, and wait until we do a larger Reno to fix this. Thankfully our return ducts don't have this wrapping, only all the runs do.

On 2021-12-22 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator

@Replace HVAC system?,

How urgent is the replacement of your asbestos-covered HVAC duct system and how dangerous is it to building occupants?

Certainly reasonable questions to ask.

A fictional but nevertheless expert and smart medical forensic detective (Thorndyke) remarks in Richard Austin Freeman's (1862-1943) "The Vanishing Man ..."

... there is no use in speculating a priori; we should have to reconstruct a purely imaginary situation, the circumstances of which are unknown to us, and we should almost certainly reconstruct it wrong.

With that warning in mind, you will understand that we know nothing about your home and the area where these ducts are located - nor the extent of prior damage nor how any debris has been cleaned-up. (Damp wiping and HEPA vacuuming are safest.)

So you may not want to put your building occupants at risk by website or email consulting that asks "are we safe" - one cannot know.

Asbestos isn't like a radioactive hazard. It's dangerous when it's disturbed to make airborne dust. The EPA points out that asbestos is safe and legal in homes and is usually safest left alone and covered over.

IF there were friable asbestos right in the air path - such as a return air duct, that's a greater concern.

IF there are ducts being damaged so as to create dust, that's a greater concern.

In any event you don't want to be scared or breathless when you call contractors for remediation efforts or the cost of the job will be greater, still.

On 2021-12-22 by Replace HVAC system?

@Inspectapedia Com Moderator, thanks for your reply.

Is this generally seen as an urgent safety hazard? I'm in the bay area and changing everything will cost $10K+. Would like to avoid cost if possible.

On 2021-12-22 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator

@Replace entire HVAC system?,

You can encapsulate asbestos in many circumstances although if that's all Air ducting and not piping that I'm seeing in your photos, and considering the need for future maintenance, it might be about the same cost to simply remove it intact.

It's not like asbestos on hydronic or hot water heating pipes, it's asbestos on ductwork that can simply be removed in sections.

That should reduce the asbestos handling cost considerably.

Bottom line, for ductwork that's probably the better approach.

On 2021-12-21 by Replace entire HVAC system?

HVAC person said our ducts have abestos and told us we need to change the entire system / home.

Are there any options around encapsulating or painting over it? Or are these holes / disturbances serious enough to even need to address?

On 2021-09-28 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator

@Andrew,

Looks like corrugated asbestos paper duct or pipe insulation - you'll see similar and rather distinctive-looking pipe wrap above on this page.

It also looks as if other pipe insulation has been either re-insulated or covered / encapsulated.

Your last photo shows that the insulation is in an area where it's exposed to damage. It'd be smart to protect it - encapsulate or cover.

On 2021-09-28 by Andrew

Are theses pipes dangerous and if so should they be wrapped?

On 2021-09-23 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator

@CPH,

It certainly looks like a white fabric. I can't tell from the photo if it contains asbestos or not, asbestos joint sealant tape was a paper-like material but there was an asbestos fabric used as a vibration dampener.

If yours is actually an adhesive tape and maybe a newer product.

On 2021-09-22 by CPH

Hi, I have found some white tape along my return duct path. Is it likely this contains asbestos? This is the only white tape I have found in my crawl space.

On 2021-07-29 by Anonymous

@inspectapedia.com.moderator,

Thanks a lot for the detailed replies, I will post back some high res pictures and also try and see if there is any printed info on duct.

This is in San Jose, California and the house was built in 1967-1969 timeframe with the ducts being original to the house.

On 2021-07-29 by inspectapedia.com.moderator - metal or foil-wrapped asbestos HVAC ducts

@Sam,

From what I see in your second photo that offers more information, it look as if this is a thin insulating material wrapped on both sides with a fiber reinforced aluminum material; indeed there are some asbestos duct products that were made using hemp, nylon, sisal or other fibers for reinforcement of an aluminum foil or metal covering and lining.

At ASBESTOS DUCTS, HVAC

in a section titled Asbestos Liner Inside Metal HVAC Ducts you will find a photo of HVAC ducts that combined metal, or metal foil, and asbestos, that look much like the duct in your second photo.

We have posted more of your own pictures of foil-covered asbestos HVAC ducts there too. From the stamps on your ductwork it looks as if this product dates from 1967.

In your first photo, those long yellow fibers and those fibers in the tape or surface that are arranged in a rectangular grid pattern are not asbestos. More-likely a synthetic material or jute or fiberglass;

But in that first photo the edges that are torn are very white and look like fine fibers that I thought could be an asbestos paper product.

Your ducts are a product very similar to the Asbestos-and-metal or metal foil duct example I just cited above.



Fiberglass is easy to identify in a sharp, well lit photo;

Examples are at FIBERGLASS INSULATION IDENTIFICATION & PROPERTIES

Asbestos paper is illustrated above on this page.

Other asbestos forms are at ASBESTOS DUCTS HVAC at the "Continue reading " suggested link at the end of this article.

and for comparison also see ASBESTOS PIPE INSULATION

It would be helpful to know the country and city of location of the building where this duct is installed
and
to see some sharp high-res photos of

- the edges of the ductwork where those are exposed

- the interior of the duct

- any labels, stamps, markings on the ductwork

adding: by its pattern that looks like a burlap or jute or hemp fabric.

On 2021-07-29 by Sam (mod)

@inspectapedia.com.moderator, thanks for your helpful reply. Here is the zoomed out picture. yes, the prior picture was of the tape removed from the area where duct is crushed.

There is no metal duct inside.

Do you think the white/yellow material in previous picture is asbestos or more likely some other ducting material like fiberglass/cardboard? Or maybe it is fiberglass wrapped in asbestos?

On 2021-07-28 by Sam

Hello! I have some old ducting from 1969, I can see the white asbestos tape at some of the joints and the Butte, but I am not sure whether the duct itself has asbestos, this is a house I just purchased, and the duct is crushed at a few places and a little broken,

[See photos above on this page]

so I’m worried about using it if the duct itself contains asbestos, can you please take a look at the attached picture and guide me as to whether the duct material itself has asbestos?

On 2021-05-03 by (mod) - duct tape over asbestos paper duct joint tape

@ANW,

That white paper looking material is most-likely an asbestos product: asbestos paper duct tape used at joints in metal ductwork.

It has been taped-over with modern duct tape. The modern product doesn't contain asbestos.

What's surprising is that the condition of the galvanized metal at left in the photo looks so good but it doesn't look old enough to have asbestos paper tag connections.

But sometimes metal duct work in a clean dry attic can stay quite new-looking for decades.

Cover those suspect asbestos-paper-taped joints with foil or other duct tape material or when you need to replace them simply remove them entirely rather than disassembling.

On 2021-05-03 by ANW

Hi, we have what looks like multiple types of tape on parts of our HVAC ducts. One looks to be white. The other looks more yellow in color that may have silver backing that is peeling off.

Not sure if this silver backing is just duct tape that was added over the tape at a later time. Any thoughts if these products likely contain asbestos? Home was built in the 1930s. Thanks

On 2021-05-02 by (mod)

@FMG,

That could be an asbestos fabric used on ducts or duct joints, and continuing to speculate perhaps the color tells us that it's been painted.

But frankly it looks like a jute product. Can we see some that isn't painted?

On 2021-05-02 by FMG

This tape was around a joint in the HVAC. Apparently it lost adhesion over time and came off. The house was built in late 60s.

On 2021-02-04 by (mod) - probably loose-fill cellulose

Cb

That's not a duct insulation material that I've ever seen before and it does not have the common or normal visual clues that would point to an asbestos paper material.

It looks like a fabric- or cellulose- product blown and piled over the ductwork and in the foreground I am pretty sure we see cellulose insulation, loose-fill.

Show me a sharper photo and use the InspectApedia search box for CELLULOSE INSULATION to see details.

On 2021-02-04 by CB

Does this look like asbestos wrapped duct? Or just gray tape? Should I replace? It’s on a house built in 1956 [Photo above]

On 2020-02-26 - by (mod) - how thick is asbestos wrap used on ducts or pipes?

Kate

Asbestos paper such as shown as a wrap around air ducts at the top of this page is like a thick paper. That is less than a tenth of an inch.

You asked about asbestos wrap on pipes.

Ibsulating pipe wrap may be anywhere from 1/2 inch to 2 inches or more in thickness.

On 2020-02-25 by kate

Hi, how thick is the asbestos around old pipes typically

On 2019-12-30 - by (mod) - using foil tape on ductwork

The best bond for the foil tape will be to the metal ductwork. I'm less confident with your approach.

If you want to double coat, see if the spray will adhere after the metal tape is in place - test that it doesn't have solvents that loosen the tape.

About leaks into the ductwork: the ducts looked rusty to me and I thought I saw wet areas in two of your photos but of course it could be something else spilled into the duct system.

On 2019-12-30 by Joe

Thanks for the advice! I was thinking that I would first use ABC Fiber spray and then after drying to use the aluminum foil tape.

So a double method so to speak. Does that sound reasonable, or would you simply go with aluminum foil tape? Much appreciation for responding so quickly!! -Joe

p.s. as for the rust, there have not really been leaks in our time here. This could just be the share age of the metal--100 year old house--and a relatively humid climate in the summers.

On 2019-12-30 - by (mod) -

Joe

With the apology that nobody can give completely confident, safe advice based on just photos and text - as there are always additional onsite factors to be discovered -

it looks reasonable that ***IF*** you can clean the surrounding metal so as to be dead confident that that foil tape will bond well and stay bonded to the duct surface, sure it makes perfect sense to tape the exposed asbestos at duct joints to get the asbestos out of the duct air stream.

I've found that aluminum foil tape is quite sticky and usually bonds well to clean dry surfaces.

Watch out: I also see rust that could raise a worry of water or condensate or leaks into the duct system.

On 2019-12-30 by Joe

And [above] is inside the vent of the boys bedroom, thanks

Thanks for the information here. I noticed yesterday when cleaning the registrars (the vents) in our 100 year old house, that the ductwork metal inside the registrar had peeled back a bit in a few places and exposed a paper like wrap.

Thus, the positive heating (and summer cooling) airflow will go right by this exposed paper wrap when entering the upstairs bedrooms. There are maybe six five-inch long places where this paper is exposed to airflow (see example photos).

I understand from above that asbestos in this paper is likely, and that inside the ductwork/registrar is a really bad place for this.

Since we are talking about five or so places for this, do you think some Kilz primer and then aluminum tape covering will do? Taking these materials out might also involve disturbance of the asbestos. Thoughts appreciated. -Joe

On 2019-11-16 - by (mod) -

Wendy

This looks like an older home that has been refurbished, including a roof-over with new OSB decking; the ductwork is shiny and new looking; yet I see what looks like asbestos paper duct wrap sealing the duct joints, partly taped over with duct tape.

While standard advice is to leave asbestos materials alone and cover them over, on damaged ductwork that advice might change;

If that material is as claimed damaged, it will probably be least expensive to have the ducts removed and replaced.

You can of course have a sample of the material tested by a certified asbestos test lab (Search InspectApedia.com for that phrase)

On 2019-11-15 by Wendy

Hi I just tried to post but not sure if it went through. We are seeing black dust coming out of vents and got a duct cleaning company and an HVAC to come out. Duct cleaning said ducts are in great shape and the black dust is due to dust on the inside getting burnt by the furnace, and just need to be cleaned.

HVAC said the ducts are cracking and has asbestos paper wrapping and need to be fully replaced along with furnace, and that the black dust are attaic dust getting pulled in from the crack. What are the right questions or right person I can ask to see who is right? Thanks! -Wendy

Hi, we have black dust coming out of the vents, and got an duct cleaning company and an HVAC company to come take a look. The duct cleaning company said the ducts are all metal and in great shape and cleanable, that the black dust is due to dust on the side getting burnt on the furnace, so we just need to clean it.

The HVAC came and said the duct has cracks and it has asbestos paper wrapping, and that we need a full replacement of duct and furnace. So .... each company is trying to sell their service. What are the right questions I can ask to figure out who is right? Thank you! -Wendy

On 2019-11-03 by Anonymous- fabric or paper wrap on ductwork looks like asbestos

Thanks for the quick reply and helpful info! We'll explore encapsulation work with a local certified company.

On 2019-11-02 by (mod) - ripped asbestos paper ductwork in the crawl space

Ben

I see what looks like an inch or so diameter hole cut in what looks like asbestos paper duct wrap;

That amount of damage is likely to be trivial, that is, not producing detectable release of asbestos into the rest of the building; nevertheless it'd make sense to have some encapsulation done; for paper duct covers some asbestos companies simply paint the surfaces with an encapsulant.
Yes it could be wrapped.

A more serious hazard would be present if asbestos material is in the air path such as inside of ductwork or inside of an air handler, OR if asbestos material that's friable is or can be tracked about the building.
FYI, No I'm not a certified asbestos remediator.

On 2019-11-02 by Ben

I discovered ripped asbestos paper ductwork in the crawl space of the house we've rented for many years -- the rips weren't there until recently, maybe from some critter who got into the space when we left the door open (?). Our landlords maintained over many years the intact paper wrap was fine -- outer insulation over the furnace outtake, just leave it alone.

It just doesn't look intact anymore from my visual inspection. The photo shows one section, but there's similar small rips up and down about 30' of ducting. Should I be worried? Should these be professionally wrapped or fine left alone?
Thank you so much for your expert opinion!

On 2019-10-04 by (mod) - removed some duck work. Now worried.

Ray

Apologies but no one in their right mind would pretend that they can assess the asbestos hazard in a home by a brief e-text.

You can, however, either hire an environmental test professional to take a case history, inspect the home, and collect and test representative settled dust samples for lab screening for asbestos, or you could contact an asbestos test lab and take on that responsibility yourself; sampling is technically easy provided you select representative test locations.

On 2019-09-24 by Ray

removed some duck work. Now worried.
We moved to an old house. Encountered a plumbing emergency and I opened the ceiling and wall in the kitchen. I remove some duct work with asbestos tape at the joints.

I sprayed the tap area with water and cut at 2 sections away from tape. while spraying , I might missed some hard to reach area.

There is a section of duct about 6 feet. Wrapped by duct tape, I wet it and I use finger took out a section of 4 inches and then made a cut using a reciprocating saw, and at that point the pipe fell apart. I wrapped them in plastic bag and took them out. I separated my work area using plastics drips, with staples, not quite air tight. Due to continue work the area had be separated from the rest of the house for about a month. But I walk to other areas from time to time.

Now After reading some articles, I began to worried how much contamination I caused to my house and family members. My work did not cause big dust at that moment.
Please advise, how much contamination and any long term effect? Thank you!

On 2019-08-19 by (mod) - How much do I need to worry?

Nate:

I'm not sure what's the worry with loose duct tape except for air leaks in the ducts UNLESS someone used duct tape in an amateur effort to encapsulate asbestos-paper covered metal ductwork.

I can't say "how much to worry" about a building that - from here on the southern side of the trump wall - I cannot see. If there is soft friable asbestos material blowing around the building of course that's a concern. If you can just tape up some loose tape ends, that sounds easy to me.

If that's your situation, and if there are just some loose tape sections here and there, why not pick up some new tape and cover the loose areas again.

I prefer metal foil tape to traditional fabric-based "duct tape" - I find that the metal foil has a stunningly sticky strong adhesive, sticks well to itself, and being aluminum foil, has a perm rating of nearly zero.

You can pick up aluminum foil tape at any building supplier, hardware store, and some plumbing and HVAC suppliers as well as from online vendors. An example is shown below.

If you'd like to post some photos of your hanging chad I mean hanging ducttape ducts I may be able to comment further.

On 2019-08-19 by Nate

I have loose duct tape on the ducts In my basement. It used to just be one loose piece, but now all three ducts have loose tape. How much do I need to worry?

It will be a while before I can afford to have it removed. No one but me goes in the basement. Do I need to really worry about the fibers getting up into the house? Type asbestos duct work in Google search, and the first 100 results are lawyer ads telling you you're surely gonna die!

On 2019-06-18 by (mod) -

Yes that looks like asbestos paper duct-wrap. If it's on a supply duct exterior the asbestos hazard, even if the duct is in use, is likely to be beneath detection. Best to leave it alone.

On 2019-06-18 by rcr5035

Hello,

We were hoping to take our one of our old plaster and lathe walls and came across an old non-functioning heating duct which appears to be wrapped in asbestos insulation. Was curious to see if this is the case via visual inspection. Thanks!

On 2019-04-07 by (mod) -

Re-posting from private email:

2019 04 03 Anonymous said

"Asbestos Wafers in Ceiling"

I removed some old ceiling tiles in my basement and found there are all these little pieces of asbestos paper sandwiched between the electric wires and the ductwork. Is it ok just to leave these undisturbed and exposed or should they be removed? I am not planning to finish the basement.
Thanks for your advice.


Moderator Reply:

Indeed the photos look like asbestos paper; if the asbestos-suspect paper-like material is intact, not falling off, and not going to be disturbed you can leave it alone; From the photo one can see that indeed there was a stapled-up ceiling previously installed.

You could reduce the chances of disturbing the material by covering it - perhaps even with simple house-wrap stapled to the furring strips. (It seems reasonable to think that as there was previously a ceiling installed here we're not worried about overheating nor a fire hazard AND *** we're assuming these are metal heating air ducts, NOT a chimney or exhaust flue for a heating appliance as that might raise different safety worries).
IMAGE LOST by older version of Clark Van Oyen’s useful Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-03-18 by Tony M

Dear inspectapedia,

Could you help me identify if the exposed fibers and/or wrapping could be asbestos on the photos below? This is in a house in Belgium that was built in the 50s but the heating was installed only later. It is close to an external ventilation slit, i.e. air softly blows by on a regular basis. If asbestos seems to be present, does the condition pose a direct health threat and is urgent action recommended?

Thank you very much from Brussels!
IMAGE LOST by older version of Clark Van Oyen’s useful Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-03-12 by pjanu

Wondered if you think this looks like any evidence of asbestos
IMAGE LOST by older version of Clark Van Oyen’s useful Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

(Feb 1, 2019) James said: what do I do about asbestos paper on this air box?

Reader follow-up to question and answer below, discussing handling of a warm air supply register box whose exterior was wrapped in asbestos paper.

Thanks Dan! What are my options? Abate this box? Or just lax paint it over? I don’t know if there are any wrappers on the connection, it will be my main concern to have part of open tape inside the airflow ;(

Here the photo I can do best without removing grille as they forced to fit in the grille and sealed with caulk.

Seems like it [has none of the asbestos paper seen on the box exterior.]

Quick question: if I just want to abate this ductwork boot, will that cost similar as much bigger work as they still have setup for the entire room, etc?

Moderator reply

Usually the safest step is to leave the item in place, encapsulating with a suitable paint. When asbestos paper is on the exterior of a supply register or box the interior of the box is under positive pressure when the heat or A/C is on - so even a small air leak would be trying to blow out, not in, so not trying to draw asbestos particles from the paper into the air supply.

From the ceiling below, remove the grille and inspect the interior of the box; if you see all sheet metal and no asbestos material then there's no asbestos paper in that air path. Attach a photo of what you see and I can comment further.

I don't see any paper or other insulation or tape inside the box in your photo. Check that to satisfy yourself.

About your follow-up query on removing the asbestos-paper-covered air register "easily":

Fair question to ask the remediator - if it can be disconnected and removed intact in one piece the remediation may be quite easy and inexpensive. If they have to rip things apart - and if you look like a litigious sort or are an attorney - the price will go up.

Watch out: keep in mind that if you see asbestos material in one place it may well be in others - we don't want to have to keep repeating the job.

On 2019-02-01 by (mod) - asbestos paper left on air supply registers after duct replacement

It certainly looks like it from here, James.

It was common for a duct "Replacement" job to leave the old register boxes in place as that makes the job quick, easy, and profitable, avoiding having to disturb ceilings and walls to remove and replace the distribution boxes supplying the actual air registers.

On 2019-02-01 by James

Recently replaced ac/furnace and duct system. They did not replace vent. The house was built in 30s. Although duct system has been replaced before, this vent does not seem be replaced. Is it wrapped by asbestos paper?

Reader Follow-up: photo of the air register box interior

Here the photo I can do best without removing grille as they forced to fit in the grille and sealed with caulk.

On 2019-01-24 by (mod) - asbestos-suspect duct tape or duct wrap exposed at duct interior?

Pini

That could be an asbestos paper duct joint wrap, exposed on the duct interior. A photo from the exterior would be helpful and key would be

the country and city of the duct (and building) location

The building age

and if known , the age of the ductwork

On 2019-01-24 by Pini

Can someone please tell us if this looks like some asbestos tape or some harmless insulation backing peeking from at the outside of the metal ducts we have into the inside of these metal ducts?

We found this when the register grille was taken down for painting the room.

The metal ducts are all enclosed in the dropped ceilings except for in the furnace closet where some asbestos tape was found on the furnace to plenum connection under some later added regular duct tape.

The tape there is also intact, but is being abated. The house was built in 1970. Visually, the material seems intact - not fraying or peeling apart. It is definitely bit yellower than the tape on the furnace.

Therefore wondering if it could be the Two Part Duct Sealing tape that Hardcast sells and was selling in 1970?

Is this a hazard to leave it in such a location peeking into the duct? Have we been inhaling asbestos for the last several years? Very worried.

Also, if it is asbestos, what is the best way to seal or encase it, if any? Use the HVAC mastic tape + mastic at the joint that is right ahead of this material without touching this material so this material is sort of sealed in again?

Or do all the ducts need to change - this is huge work as the ducts are all inside dropped ceilings and drywalls - so a lot of demo.

Much appreciated.

Here is another image of the same duct.

On 2019-01-21 by (mod) - very dirty heating air supply register in 1974 home

Concerned

I see what looks like a heating air supply register that is filled with dirt and debris. Possibly also some building insulation. It would make sense to have the duct system inspected and if it's all metal as I see in your photo, professionally cleaned.

No one can assert the presence or absence of asbestos from your photo.

On 2019-01-21 by Concerned mom

I lifted up the heat duct and found this! Does it look like asbestos? I have 5 kids in my house opinion please! It is the in floor heating in our basement.

The house was built in 1974. We just had the heater replaced 6 months ago. Not sure if they looked at the vents.

On 2018-12-09 by (mod) -

From the photographs that looks like an asbestos paper on your heating ducts.

On 2018-12-08 by Michael

Hello,

We recently became aware some of the furnace plenum & duct insulation in the house we are renting may be asbestos. Is it possible to tell from this picture if it's likely asbestos?

There are a few damaged/exposed areas (a corner on the plenum, and an area next to the furnace where the corrugated material has been cut). House is in CA, built in the 1960s.

Furnace seems to have been replaced sometime in the 90s.
Thanks!

Here's a follow-up picture to my previous comment with a close-up of where the corrugated material has been cut / is damaged. Any opinions about whether this warrants concern would be appreciated.

On 2018-11-13 by (mod) - brown paper duct wrap: asbestos?

Regrets, Ed but I'm not sure what sort of paper duct wrap is shown in your photo.

It could be an asbestos paper product, though it looks different than the other asbestos papers I've seen and that are shown in this article series in that those usually show an embossed textured pattern

To know for sure what you've got you'd want to have a sample tested by an asbestos test lab.

On 2018-11-13 y Ed

Inside a bulkhead is a short segment of duct wrapped in brown paper which is torn about 1/2 way along. There's also some dark brown adhesive on the duct and part of the paper. Any idea what it might be?

On 2018-10-24 by (mod) - asbestos paper gasket at HVAC duct joints

Andrew,

That looks to me like a bit of asbestos-based paper used as part of an HVAC duct connector or joint. It appears to be on the exterior of an air supply duct (as I see a duct damper lever).

Duct supply air wants to blow out rather than draw into the duct at any joints or leak points.

In my OPINION that means it's not likely that the inch or so of asbestos-paper that we can see is producing a detectable level of asbestos in the building's air sent through the supply duct.

Asbestos paper or other asbestos products that are actually exposed in the air path are something that I'd want removed; usually the least costly approach is to simply remove the duct materials intact and un-disturbed and to install new ductwork.

On 2018-10-24 by Andrew Should I be concerned?

What is this product? The professional home inspector made no mention of this in his report. It is in plain view. Should I be concerned?

On 2018-08-09 v by mothermd

We have a house built in 1936. It appears to have asbestos wrapping the duct work and probably in the flooring. This is all in good shape and has not been disturbed. I would like to get the duct work cleaned out. Do you have any methods that would work for this without disturbing the asbestos?

On 2018-07-04 by (mod) -

Bobby, the photos are a bit small and not so sharp but we could be looking at an asbestos paper or fabric duct insulation that has been wet or stained by rusty water.

On 2018-07-04 by BobbyS

Here are the other 2 pictures we took of the flue. Is this asbestos? We think the furnace was manufactured in 1985, so how would asbestos have been used in the flue (did asbestos not get banned in 1977)?

Does this flue have asbestos paper? Also the boot - is that asbestos as well? The paper seems to be fraying in some places - do we need to do an immediate remediation on it? If this is asbestos, we were hoping to change the furnace next year and do the abatement at the same time.

Also, one more question if you don't mind: how do we find out if our ducts (that are behind dropped ceiling covered with drywall) have asbestos in them (insulation or sealing)?

On 2018-06-03 0 by (mod) -

Yes that is asbestos - corrugated asbestos paper is rather definitive in its appearance.

It would be helpful to know the country and city and age of the home where your corrugated asbestos paper wrapped ductwork is installed.

On 2018-06-03 by Ashley

Does this look like asbestos? I cannot tell if it appears to be damaged/hazardous or not.

On 2018-04-13 by (mod) - confirming probable asbestos paper used on HVAC duct exterior

Well It sure looks like it, Allen , by color, appearance, and location.

[Click to enlarge any image]

On 2018-04-13 by Allen

Do you think this is asbestos? [Photo above]

On 2018-03-27 by Anonymous - ok to keep ducts after asbestos was removed?

No

On 2018-03-27 1 by L.D.

Questions - If you have the asbestos wrapping removed from your ducts do you still have to replace the ducts?

On 2018-02-08 by (mod) - do plumbers handle asbestos encapsulation on heating ducts?

No, Carol not a plumber.

Depending on where you live, asbestos abatement is done by licensed contractors.
You'd hire a certified, licensed asbestos abatement contractor to remove the old asbestos material and to do what cleanup is needed.

You might then use a heating contractor to install the replacement ductwork or some abatement companies also can handle that step.

On 2018-02-08 by Carol

who do you hire to encapsulate it a plumber?

On 2017-04-11 by Anonymous

thanks for that, they seem to be the foil kind of ducts. Does that make a difference as to whether asbestor or not?

On 2017-04-11 9 by (mod) - unusual for a 1980s home to have asbestos air ducts

With the understanding that no one can inspect your home for hazards by text, I will suggest that it would be quite unusual for a 1980s home to have asbestos air ducts.

On 2017-04-11 by Anonymous

I have a home built in 1983/84. We have ducted air conditioning. I think the air con unit itself has since been replaced but not sure about the ducts themselves. Is it safe to continue using the air conditioning throughout the house?

On 2017-03-19 by (mod) - paper asbestos on the outside of supply ducts is not likely to move asbestos into the air flow

Aaah well maybe.

In my OPINION paper asbestos on the outside of supply ducts is not likely to move asbestos into the air flow; Paper asbestos wrapping the outside of return air ducts might give up very low traces of asbestos IF it's wrapped over holes in the ductwork, more-so if it's damaged.

Asbestos is rarely but sometimes found right in the air path of some older furnaces - not your case from what you've said

Ask guy #2 where he saw asbestos; use the page top or bottom CONTACT link to send me photos of what he saw; some asbestos products are so well known and nearly unique in appearance that testing is not needed; else you'd search InspectApedia (use the box above) and collect a small sample to send to an ASBESTOS TEST LAB.

On 2017-03-19 by MIchelle

I have just been told by an A/C guy that I need to replace all the ducts in my home due to asbestos piping on my heater ducts. The first guy that came in said there was NO asbestos ducts. How can I find out for sure?

On 2016-12-15 by V

Do I have to have asbestos removed on old abandoned plumbing!

On 2016-05-30 by (mod) -

Yes Jaro

H Man: there is not likely to be a white-gray corrugated looking pipe insulation in an older home that's not asbestos, but it's not common to find that material on metal ductwork. Use the page top or bottom CONTACT link to send us some photos for comment if you like.

You may want to have your material tested by a certified asbestos test lab (about $50 U.S.)

On 2016-05-19 by Jaro

My house was build in 1965. Is it possible that heating ducks are insulated with asbestos?

On 2016-05-02 by H man

My home has tin ducting with a corrugated insulator surrounding it. How can I tell if the corrugated wrap is asbestos or not.

On 2016-03-19 by (mod) -

Moreno:

It depends on where you live. In some areas DIY owner asbestos removal is legal BUT the DISPOSAL of the asbestos waste requires involvement of a licensed asbestos or hazmat disposal service.

I don't recommend DIY asbestos abatement - if you don't know how to proceed or if you make a mistake you create significant health hazards and far greater cleanup costs than if the job were done properly the first time.

Sam:
You cannot safely use paper-wrapped air ducts as a wood stove vent - that'd set the building on fire.

If you are asking if you can circulate forced hot air through old antique ductwork, that may work, if the ducts are intact, not contaminated on the duct interior, not leaky, adequate in size, routing, location.

On 2016-03-14 by Moreno

Is any federal or state regulations to prevent the homeowner to remove the asbestos from their own private home?

On 2016-01-10 by Sam

Have an older home, built 1945. It looks like the heating ducts are wrapped in asbestos. They go up through the floor into wall studs and on up to the second floor

. I want to use a wood burner for heat and use this duct work for it. Will they get to hot for the heat or should they be OK? They currently are used for an oil furnace.

On 2015-12-28 by (mod) -

Anon:

If you are referring to asbestos paper insulation on the outside of warm air supply ducts, if the paper is un-damaged and not exposed to damage it's not very likely that there would be a release of asbestos fibers into the occupied space air that you could measure.

We discuss these worries in the article ASBESTOS PAPER DUCT INSULATION.

On 2015-12-28 by Anonymous

if a the air supply are insulated with a known asbestos will that be bad for the air in the house if breath in

On 2015-10-04 by michelle

why was asbestos used over garage doors,we lived in a home for 2 years and unfortunately didn't know for the longest time that the beams above the garage door had asbestos pipe insulation on them,the paper was damaged and every time the garage door opened it would hit off the paper,

so I guess my family and I were exposed to asbestos fibres for almost 2 years,would I be correct in assuming this?

We have 2 young kids and I am so worried over the fact that they lived in this home for 2 years,does anyone know if we did some serious damage to our health

On 2015-05-24 by Bob M.

What kind of asbestos was used in paper duct wrap in 1908? Was it chrysotile or another form?

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