Ductwork IAQ

Katie Fluence

Elme Communities

LEEDuser Basic Member

3 thumbs up

April 11, 2019

We have an environmentally-minded client who asked us to look into an alternative to the blue adhesive film that is typically used to seal uninstalled ducts for IAQ purposes. From a human health and waste perspective, they were hoping to find something that was both plastic-free and reusable. Has anyone tried out other options? I thought it was a very interesting request, but I’d certainly want to assure the alternative is equally effective and simple enough that our field teams would actually use it!

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Steven Burke

Senior Director, Sustainability

Suffolk Construction

LEEDuser Basic Member

0 thumbs up

Thu, 04/18/2019 - 15:43

Love the idea! But, good luck finding a product that works (Tupperware lid for duct work of all shapes and sizes), maintaining it during construction, and preventing it from being discarded after it's used. Of all the things a client could ask for that's such a specific request, I'm amazed they even had any opinion on it at all! You're probably better off finding a way to collect that material and recycle it. It's a notoriously difficult type of plastic to recycled. The product Ekomats are utility mats for construction projects that target those types of plastics and use them as the polymers for their products. You might consider using them as an "offset". https://www.ekomats.com/

Katie Fluence

Elme Communities

LEEDuser Basic Member

3 thumbs up

Fri, 04/19/2019 - 16:59

Ha, love the visual of a tupperware lid. I like the compromise of an offset of sorts until we can come up with a better solution. We'll definitely have to check out Ekomats.

Jennifer Taranto

Vice President of Sustainability, Global Services

STO Building Group

LEEDuser Basic Member

0 thumbs up

Fri, 04/19/2019 - 17:48

We've had some success with using a sheet of poly or a tarp labeled with a dirty/clean side to cover piles of duct work in lieu of the blue plastic. It doesn't fully eliminate the plastic from the job, but it can reduce it.