Making a seal at the ceiling for a pre-war building hot riser

naomin

Hi all - new here and not a pro. I'm just trying to resolve an issue my super seems clueless to fix himself. I live in a pre-war NYC apartment building. The steam pipe in the bathroom is not sealed well at the top - posted a photo. In the meantime, a steady fine rain of sand and detritus falls onto my bathroom floor and towels, maybe containing asbestos. He's sealed it about three times over the past couple of years. Today I climbed on a ladder and the material around the pipe has shriveled up into paper. I just designed a cup tonight that I've taped around the pipe at the top, so at least the sand is stopped there. I understand from posts here that foam would work. Would appreciate suggestions. Thanks.

Just FYI we've had a couple of floods from the upstairs neighbor and the super has told me that the disintegration of the material between floors makes the seal an issue. Those floods are now two years in the past.

Long Beach Ed

Hello.

These pipe penetrations weren't intended to be sealed as you desire, as expansion and contraction of the pipe riser has to be accommodated.

Probably the best way to seal this would be to use a spray-in fire-stop foam covered with a pipe escutcheon. It's available from plumbing supply stores or Home Depots in NYC. The foam should permit some movement while sealing out dust.

If you have reason to believe asbestos dust is littering your bathroom, you can send a sample for testing. Beware though that any claim of possible asbestos contamination in NYC can get you removed from the apartment by its owner without much recourse.

Waher

Fire sealant at the penetration
https://www.homedepot.com/p/3M-10-1-fl-oz-Red-Fire-Barrier-CP-25WB-Plus-Sealant-CP25WB-10/100166701

If there's a big gap use foam to backfill first to provide a backer for the sealant
https://www.homedepot.com/p/3M-12-oz-Orange-Fire-Block-FB-Foam-Specialty-Sealant-FB-Foam/203281270

Spring loaded pipe escutcheon to cover the sealant joint
https://www.supplyhouse.com/Bluefin-PLA125CR-1-1-4-IPS-Heavy-Duty-Floor-and-Ceiling-Plate-w-Spring-3-1-2-OD-Chrome-Plated

mattmia2

You could stick something like a roof flashing over it. I think there are split versions.

Since it looks like it is spray painted silver it is hard to tell what that is.

naomin

@Long Beach Ed- thanks for the information. But why would someone remove me if I’m complaining about asbestos if it’s on them to fix it?

naomin

@Waher thanks for the shopping list!

Long Beach Ed

naomin said:

@Long Beach Ed- thanks for the information. But why would someone remove me if I’m complaining about asbestos if it’s on them to fix it?

Because the law allows them to. They see you as an adversarial tenant causing problems, costing them money and they want you gone. Why would any landlord retain a tenant who threatens about "asbestos"? They can terminate your lease stating the apartment is inhabitable and need you out to do the abatement. Then rent to someone who's happy to be there. That's how it's done.

Mad Dog_2

Ha ha. Its not funny but I can't help it.  I got fired from 3-4 jobs as a Union plumbing Apprentice and 1 as a Journeyman in the Late 80s-Early 90s for refusing to rip off asbestos on  pipe repairs.  I offered to do it if they got me the correct respirator (Magenta) AND I was certified to abate, but they sent me home for the day w out pay and I conveniently got 'layed off" one to two weeks later even though the jobs were rocking and rollin.  I got fed up because our Apprenticeship teachers IMPLORED US
"YOU DONT TOUCH ASBESTOS...YOU CALL THE BUSINESS AGENT!"  I did and only one helped me Mike Eustace local #2 NYC...Great guy. He got me in a very good shop but it happened again 3.5 yrs later as a young mechanic when a new Foreman from Ireland 🇮🇪 Came to run a job.  Totally turned off Off I needed a big change and went to College 5 yrs after HS with the aim of Law School which I did get in to two good ones in NYC but had met my wife, didn't want 100k in Loans and 3 more yrs of school.so, I went back to plumbing full time w a college degree and goal of getting licensed and running my own shop..I recertified on ACM removal in 2014 and have done quite a bit abatement THE RIGHT WAY.   SO, YES, Ed is right...you may be punished for protecting your lungs.  What I would do is get a testing company to come in and sample and test it.  It may be just plaster dust.  If it is Positive, you have a choice.   Have an abatement company encapsulate the area in place or go full day boat flounder on em and make co-op board fix it.  That steam riser is always going to move w expansion and contraction.  You could always just live with it like my HS buddy Billy V did.  He had asbestos steam mains directly over his bed in basement apartment.  Hes still alive and no asbestosis or mesothelioma yet!   Good luck. Mad Dog 🐕

CLamb

Mad Dog_2 said:

"YOU DONT TOUCH ASBESTOS...YOU CALL THE BUSINESS AGENT!"

Were the asbestos abatement folks unionized? If so, it might be more helpful to call their B.A..

dopey27177

The hole in the floor was made a little lager than the pipe. This would allow for expansion and contraction of the pipe as heated and cooled.

Originally there was a pipe sleeve made of galvanized iron slightly above the bathroom floor. That would keep any water leakage in the bathroom from leaking down.

Thee sleeve was filled with dry okum or asbestos packing. this was used as a fire stop.

There is no material that will survive the movement of the pipe other than a quality graphite packing.

Once the packing is installed a clamp would be needed on both sides of the floor.

Jake

EdTheHeaterMan

All this talk about the seal at the pipe opening made me remember when I had a problem with my rear main seal on the service truck. Boy was that a day!

Mad Dog_2

True Lamb, but I am a Union Plumber not Insulator so their BA ain't gettin me no job!  Mad 🐕 Dog