PVC jacket for old asbestos insulation?

jv100

I was just looking at those fabulous pictures of PVC jacketing that crash2009 posted, and was wondering if I could use them to cover the asbestos that is still on sections my mains.  The original coverings are falling off, and tiny bits of the asbestos is starting to crumble, but if the clamshell of the PVC jacket opens wide enough, maybe I could gently enclose the asbestos without getting the crumbly edges airborne.  I will use modern insulation for the parts of the mains that are currently bare, but my inclination with asbestos is to leave it be if it is still providing insulation.  And I'm guessing that PVC jackets would be cheaper than having an asbestos contractor come in to cover them. 



That said, maybe removing all the asbestos would make it easier to do a good insulating job for the entire system. What do you all think?



Thanks!



JV

Joe V_2

I would

Have asbestos removed and pipe insulation done properly.  Vinyl jackets may mislead someone about the potential to xposure.   

jv100

Very good point, Joe V!

And, I suppose it could lead future potential buyers of my house to suspect that I was hiding the asbestos, and wonder what else I was hiding...

Thanks for posting.

Jamie Hall

Another approach

which works really well (although it can be a bit messy) is to use plaster impregnated cloth tape -- the kind doctors use for splints, although you can get it a lot cheaper other places -- and wrap the asbestos with that.  Works fine.  Doesn't get rid of the asbestos, but it's and order of magnitude or more cheaper, particularly if you do it yourself (a few tens of dollars for the tape, vs. a few thousands or tens of thousands for the asbestos removal.



Granted, it doesn't get rid of the asbestos, and if you have a thing about that you may not like to have it around, even encapsulated.  And it could -- in fact will -- hurt your resale value.  On the other hand, unless you property tax assessor is a real idiot, it should lower your property taxes (fair market value and all that).

jv100

Interesting idea, Jamie!

I don't worry about asbestos as long as it is wrapped up tight, but probably the majority of people do, so from a resale perspective I probably should remove it.  And property taxes...well, they aren't going down anytime soon, because, like elsewhere, the town is strapped for cash.

Thanks for the thought.  It gives me another option as I weigh the long- and short-term costs.

JV

JohnL_2

PVC Jacketing

JV100, although the PVC jacketing will clean up the look of the pipe insulation, I wouldn't recommend that you use it on the crumbling asbestos insulation.  As Jamie Hall mentioned, your best bet (without removing the asbestos) is using Rewettable Canvas, which is similar to the canvas they use on casts.  Dip the Cavas in water and wrap it around the insulation and it will dry into a hard cast which will encapsulate the asbestos fibers.  It will look good too if done neatly.