Options for more attractive insulation for the steam main running through this basement unit?

Jells · June 29

The nightmare tenant that came with this multifamily building in 2012 finally moved out! This legal basement studio has had no TLC in 20 years at least. I'm trying to figure out what is practical to make it livable. High on the list (besides paint, flooring and new cabinets) is this insulation on the steam main. What products should I be looking at? I'm pretty sure this is glass wool not any asbestos.

Another issue that I don't have a photo for is that the main vent at the front of this run, out of frame to the right, is inside a like 2'x 2' framed and paneled chase. To access it I've had to literally pull off moldings and the panelling! I want to put a long antler from the main through the red wall to the hallway so I can service the mains. Is an antler a couple of feet long not OK for any reason? Do I need to use an extra set of elbows to put a decent pitch on it?

Don't ask me why anyone would paint a 7' ceiling red. These people were literally batsh*t crazy.

EdTheHeaterMan · June 29

They must have had religious services in the basement. It would be the farthest from heaven for that type of religious service. 😈 😈 😈

As far as proper, good-looking insulation, you could cover what you have with vinyl. Then get fitting insulation with a vinyl cover to make everything white.

The antler needs to be pitched so that condensation does not get trapped in the horizontal sections. How long they are probably does not matter. https://www.buyinsulationproductstore.com/pvc-cut-and-curl-jacketing-w-ssl-3ft/ . The same company has elbow and tee insulation fittings that use the same vinyl to cover the fitting insulation.

OR… you can try to miter the elbows with two 22.5° angle curs and vinyl tape for the 90° elbow joints.

mattmia2 · June 29

whatever is on that pipe doesn't look like fiberglass. the outer layer looks sort of like aircell asbestos but there is something weird there, either someone wrapped it in salvaged asbestos not knowing what it was or just wrapped it in cardboard over maybe mineral wool. i wouldn't touch it without having someone test it.

normal pipe insulation isn't that thick, that is some sort of homemade stuff. fiberglass molded and faced pipe insulation and molded plastic fitting covers would look much better and be much less bulky.

the floor coverings very likely are asbestos containing materials

EBEBRATT-Ed · June 29

As far as the pipe covering goes if it is not asbestoes I would cover it with the white PVC as @EdTheHeaterMan mentioned.

Adding an antler, it can be as long as it needs to be as long as any condensed water can drain back to the main

Jells · June 29

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1899323#Comment_1899323

I guess I understand why a heating guy has asbestos on the brain, but I don't think you're right in either case. I'll get a close up pic of the insulation later today. I think it's so thick because otherwise that main would overheat this little apartment.

The flooring in the foreground is simply sheet vinyl that I had installed some years ago, the tiles in the background seemed to be thin basic vinyl not thick old school linoleum or such. I plan on just flopping down click together vinyl floating planks. I've installed many thousands of feet of laminate and LVP.

ChrisJ · June 29

From what's exposed, it looks like someone wrapped fiberglass in either foil, or that silver bubblewrap stuff.

If it was mine I'd probably pull that off (yeah, I know….) and replace it with 1" thick and a PVC cover as others mentioned. I'd go 1" because that stuff looks huge and takes up a lot more room. 2" and 3" thick aren't as much of an improvement over 1" as you'd expect.

If you don't want to mess with it, just get the PVC covers.

mattmia2 · June 29

the peel and stick tiles were also usually vinyl asbestos tile and they were putting asbestos both in vinyl tile and in the backing of many sheet viny products through about 1987 so a lot of flooring products that were assumed to not be asbestos containing materials actually are.

I would need to see a clear picture of the cut open end of the insulation to take a guess at what it is but the texture of the outer surface where there is a clear view of it looks like the surface of aircell asbestos but it could be some other corrugated product.

Jells · June 30

So here's a good shot of that insulation. Looks like glass with a aluminum coated 1/8" rubber outer jacket that has been given quite a treatment in duct tape. I'm inclined to wrap it in vinyl and call it a day.

This unit is going to be a master class in lipsticking the pig. I can't let myself get sucked into doing all the things right that I'd like to do right, I have other projects piled up!

pecmsg · June 30

just cover it in PVC

mattmia2 · June 30

it looks like they wrapped it in some sort of foam tape, possibly foil backed. when i needed like a foot long strip of foam to cut a gasket for my furnace cold collector it was pricey, it looks like they spent a lot to do a terrible job of it.

ChrisJ · June 30

Imagine that....

It's just fiberglass. :)

Options for more attractive insulation for the steam main running through this basement unit?

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