By Barry Stone
Dear Barry,
Is duct cleaning a legitimate service? We have lived in our house for 23 years, and lately have seen bits of paint and/or popcorn ceiling material on our furniture, directly under our heating vents. The appearance of this debris seems to be increasing in frequency. Would duct cleaning be a remedy? Also, who does this kind of work? -Nancy
Dear Nancy,
Cleaning air ducts can be beneficial if dust and debris is forming on their inner surfaces of your warm air system. Dust buildup in forced air heating ducts can harbor dust mites and mold, posing potential health problems. Various types of business, such as heating contractors, janitorial companies and chimney sweeps, probably provide duct-cleaning services in your area. Just check the yellow pages and make some calls.
However, the loose particles of ceiling material you've noticed on your furniture indicate a problem of a different nature. When your home was built, acoustic texture was apparently sprayed onto the ceilings. In typical fashion, the person installing the texture allowed the material to coat the interior surfaces of the air duct openings. This over-spray is now losing its adhesion, which is why particles are falling onto your furniture. The problem with this occurrence is that the loose texture particles may contain asbestos fibers. This material should be professionally tested to determine whether it is an asbestos-containing material. If asbestos fibers are found, the over-spray within the ducts should be removed by a licensed asbestos abatement contractor.
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