Were they basically intact or smashed into bits or ?

except ... check your own ducts and it might be an idea to have a word with the city about how you test for environmental asbestos. Over here you can take sticky patches to a testing agency who examine for traces.

said anything. One group even replaced on duct. They did everything on the level, including getting a city permit.

I'll call them to see what their records say.

I have asbestos-cement shingles on my house and when I was a kid I used to smash up damaged
shingles with a hammer also when I was in college in chemistry lab we used to handle asbestos
pads frequently (so I've had reason to read up on the matter a bit).

The asbestos scare seems to have been a bit overblown - most people getting cancer or experiencing
other health issues from asbestos exposure appear to have worked with large quantities of asbestos or
smaller quantities over long periods (it can take 30-50 years for cancer related asbestos exposure to
appear though).

For more info:

For more on asbestos and cancer see:
http://www.cancer.gov/images/Documents/67e63bef-d6e0-4c0f-9c7a-e8aa56ed969c/fs6_36.pdf
(note there are apparently less than 2,000 cases of asbestos-related cancer diagnosed each year).

EPA on asbestos:
http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/

Background on Asbestos:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asbestos

We did get a walk-through the house, but my big concern is for the one guy that the owner claimed had performed all the work in the house. He was Latino or Mexican descent.

The owner has spent a great deal of time working in the house as well. I just don't understand people around here. I really don't.

protective coveralls that were properly handled.

Smoking increases your chances of being harmed by asbestos dramatically.

The people who were most affected were shipyard workers who were literally bathed in it every day. In my fourty three years in the sheetmetal industry I have had to deal with a LOT of Asbestos covered ductwork. Trust me, you were exposed to nothing. Chill

Thanks, you guys. Appreciate it.

They put asbestos back in brake pads and your garage is full of the dust anyway.

and you were out in the yard at exactly that moment, your exposure has been minimal. Unless he was wearing a respirator mask, he's the one who's possibly had a significant exposure.

That goes for everyone. It has been reassuring.