How do I know if I really have asbestos air ducting?
Asbestos ducting was widely used until 1978. Asbestos ducting is nearly always broken and once broken the asbestos fibers can get into the air. There are 2 methods of identification:
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Visual Inspection
Lab Testing
On this page you will see pictures of asbestos ducting in homes and businesses. You can use these pictures to visually identify the presences of asbestos in your home.
White asbestos and aluminum colored asbestos are easily identified in the home. There have only been a few methods of insulating air ducting in the home. Asbestos impregnated paper and fiberglass are the most common. Newer methods are bubble wrap and foam.
The difference in appearance is so great that it really isn’t reasonable that someone would make the mistake in misidentifying it for ducting. This is the reason that virtually nobody actually tests air ducts to see if they have asbestos in them. 
This upper picture is Aluma-Asbestos air ducts. Very common in home built pre-1978. The vents going through the roof in the background are cement asbestos and this was used commonly for sewer vents and furnace chimneys.
The picture to the left is white asbestos impregnated paper used for insulation on metal ducting. |
