For asbestos pipe insulation that is in poor condition falling off it is beyond encapsulation and needs to be removed by a professional.
Asbestos heating pipe insulation.
Unfortunately we now know that asbestos is not safe.
Using your putty knife try scraping some of the material from the pipe.
Soak them heavily and allow the water to absorb into the asbestos material for about 20 minutes.
You can use a simple cover over any pipe you may that is asbestos until you can have it removed and replaced to make it safer if you have it in your home.
In older homes specifically asbestos may be found in many different materials from pipe insulation to flooring adhesive to roof shingles.
Once all the asbestos pipe insulation is repaired and any bare pipe as reinsulated wrap the insulation with rewettable canvas pipe lagging.
Asbestos insulation was widely used on heating pipes sometimes on water pipes and occasionally on other pipes in buildings.
But just because your insulation is old doesn t mean it is dangerous.
Once moistened the rewettable coating becomes sticky and hardens once it dries.
Video discussing how to identify and cover up asbestos insulation of pipes.
But if asbestos pipe insulation is in poor condition shedding damaged fallling off or if it is in a location where it is likely to be damaged it should be removed and the pipes cleaned and sealed.
This asbestos insulating product appears most often as a gray white corrugated paper photo at page top but might also appear as a plaster or cementious paste on pipe elbows valves or on other irregular components.
Pipe furnace and boiler insulation can sometimes be repaired this way.
If spraying a chemical ensure that the area is well ventilated and the floor beneath the pipe is covered.
To get started use your tank sprayer to spray down the pipes that are covered with the asbestos.
Wear a face mask and gloves when spraying the encapsulation chemical or applying the tape or material to the pipe.
Asbestos pipe was commonly used in residential and industrial applications because it was heat resistant and hard to damage.
This should be done only by a professional trained to handle asbestos safely.
One of the most common materials containing asbestos fibers is attic and wall insulation.
Paper cloth and other insulation materials are often used to repair potential weaknesses in the heating ducts and reinforce the overall system.
Cover the entire area of exposed asbestos containing material.
For years lagging cloth and asbestos paper was used by the hvac industry to line and insulate pipes in heating and cooling systems within homes offices and other buildings.
