Asbestos-lined ducts not as frightful as they sound

By Barry Stone, Contra Costa Times

Q: When we bought our 1960s home, the inspector found that some of the heating ducts were crushed or cut. Now, two years later, we are replacing the original heater and have learned that the ducts are asbestos-lined, which we understand is extremely dangerous if the ducts are damaged.

Since asbestos-lined ducts were common in homes of this age, we are surprised and upset that we were not told about it when we were buyers. Had we known, we would have corrected the condition rather than subjecting ourselves and our newborn daughter to two years of asbestos inhalation. Are the home inspector and/or the Realtor liable for not having informed us of this condition?

A: In homes built during the 1960s, warm air ducts were commonly insulated with asbestos. However, "insulated" means that the outer surfaces of the ducts, not the interior surfaces, were covered with a cardboardlike material containing asbestos fibers. According to your description, the ducts in your home are lined with asbestos, rather than insulated on the outside surfaces. If this is the case, you have a very unusual situation, one that could have contaminated the air, but also one that may not have been visible to a home inspector and certainly would not have been known by the Realtor.

If, on the other hand, your reference to "asbestos-lined" means that the asbestos is installed on the outer surfaces of the ducts, which I suspect is the case, then the home inspector, not the Realtor, should have noticed it and should have informed you that it might be an asbestos-containing material. On the positive side, asbestos material on the outer duct surfaces would not be exposed to the airstream within the heating system and, hence, would not be likely to have contaminated the environmental air in your home.

Even if the damaged ducts were torn open and exposed to edges of asbestos insulation, the likelihood that any appreciable amount of asbestos was introduced into your living area is still very slight. To confirm this, have an environmental testing firm gather filtered air samples from your home for testing by an EPA-approved laboratory. This will remove any uncertainties regarding possible contamination and will provide some welcome reassurance if the lab test is found to be negative.

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