Documenting Every Step: How I Removed Asbestos and Upgraded Air Ducts
It is done! My asbestos saga has finally come to an end. Since my last update on November 14, 2024, with “Navigating Asbestos Safely”, the asbestos has been removed and new air ducts are installed. It took several weeks and quotes from numerous contractors, but I am happy with the result. Yes, it cost a lot of money, but knowing I documented every step of the process and completed the work without cutting corners gives me great satisfaction—not to mention the peace of mind that I’ve avoided bigger headaches down the road. Here’s what happened.
Remediation
I sought quotes from several asbestos remediation companies, and the one that stood out was not only the most responsive—visiting the property on short notice and providing a prompt estimate—but also the most reasonably priced. The owner was highly knowledgeable and patient, taking the time to address my concerns. Even after receiving the estimate, I called him multiple times to ensure I fully understood the scope of the work.
During this process, I learned that the cost to remove just the asbestos tape was the same as removing the entire air duct system in the crawl space. This left me with a critical decision to make. I approached it by asking myself, What would I do for my family if we lived in this home? Additionally, I couldn’t be certain the existing ducts would remain usable after the asbestos tape was removed. Removing the entire duct system meant a higher cost upfront, as new ducts would need to be installed, but it also brought peace of mind. Replacing the ducts ensured the safety of the home and the satisfaction of the tenants—a choice I felt confident was the right one.”
I scheduled the ducts to be removed – see the photos. About 20 feet of duct was removed. It took about 3 hours of work. Now, the next step was finding a HVAC contractor who will install the new duct work.
Duct Installation
Initially, I had two HVAC contractors scheduled to come out and provide estimates immediately after the remediation – for air duct installation. They both showed, but one disappeared without a trace, and the other gave me an extremely high quote. As a result, I scheduled another day to meet with three more HVAC contractors. During this process, I also discovered there was an additional duct in the crawl space that needed to be connected! And, one important thing to note is that all the contractors preferred using flex ductwork, because it’s easier for them to install. However, I specifically requested aluminum ductwork, even though it ended up costing an additional $700. Ultimately, the installation of the 16-inch X 20 ft and 12-inch X 16 ft ducts (suspended with nylon and involving a redesigned layout and reconfiguration of air duct sizes) cost me $2,000. It would have cost $1300 if I had opted for flex ductwork.
I have to give credit to the HVAC contractor and his crew. They arrived at the house around 10 a.m. and worked straight through until 3 p.m. They did an impressive job installing the ductwork – see pictures above.
Done Right
Although everything may appear to have gone smoothly, this project caused me a great deal of stress—primarily due to the sensitive nature of dealing with asbestos and tenants. Trying to get any kind of a job done quickly and properly takes planning and organization, especially when there are a lot of different people involved. I documented every step of the process and made sure no corners were cut. While it took several weeks to complete everything, my tenants were deeply appreciative of my efforts. They acknowledged that I went above and beyond to resolve the issue, which made all the stress and effort worthwhile. I also knew that my asbestos issue and all the work that accompanied it was done once and for all.