Blown In Attic Insulation Asbestos

Step 1 determine the age of your house.

Blown in attic insulation asbestos.

That is the loose granular insulation called vermiculite. The insulation was sold under the brand name zonolite. Asbestos has been linked to a variety of serious health conditions. Asbestos is in general terms flexible and soft but also has great corrosion resistant and heat resistant properties.

Vermiculite was a popular insulation choice between 1919 and 1990. If you notice that you have insulation that is falling apart in your building have a professional inspect for asbestos. Asbestos has been directly linked to causing mesothelioma and lung cancer as a result of breathing it in. Loose fill insulation comes in a variety of materials.

If your attic or wall insulation is in batt or blanket form whether it s fiberglass cellulose or another material you generally don t have to be concerned about asbestos. Vermiculite is utilized for attic insulation as well as other purposes. An asbestos contaminated mine in libby montana supplied over 70 percent of the vermiculite used in insulation products. The types of insulation that were most commonly made with asbestos are loose fill also called blown in insulation.

Blown in insulation helped reduced electric bills but also generated a risk for the families who lived in them as asbestos was often used to make the insulation flame retardant. The illinois department of health notes that disturbed asbestos produces tiny needle like fibers that can cause irreparable lung damage. See this article on vermiculite and asbestos for more information. Asbestos insulation many people do not know that asbestos is in fact a natural mineral.

From the early 1950 s for a period of nearly forty years the construction industry used asbestos as an insulator and fire retardant. The small fibers that come off of asbestos can kill you. Vermiculite insulation alone is not dangerous being a pellet style mineral which expands with higher temperatures. In the late 1970s it became evident that asbestos fibers were very dangerous.

In addition to building insulation vermiculite is commonly used with gardening for loosening soil. There is one type of older insulation that has a significant possibility of being contaminated with asbestos. There are many different kinds of wool like insulation that are man made and do not have asbestos but if your attic insulation looks like wool than it is best to be safe and have it tested by a professional. Asbestos can be found in the insulation used in walls attics the materials around plumbing and pipes electrical wiring as well as on heating and air conditioning units.

Fiberglass and cellulose are the most common insulation installed in residential attics today. The primary source of asbestos attic insulation is from a specific mine in montana operated for 70 years by the libby company according to the environmental protection agency.