Blown Attic Insulation Asbestos

Loose fill insulation comes in a variety of materials.

Blown attic insulation asbestos.

The small fibers that come off of asbestos can kill you. One of the most harmful insulation materials asbestos continues to cover attic floors in many older homes. Asbestos is actually a natural fiber so if your attic insulation looks like wool there is a slight chance that it will contain asbestos. The insulation was sold under the brand name zonolite.

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. Asbestos has been directly linked to causing mesothelioma and lung cancer as a result of breathing it in. If your home was built before 1990 and you have vermiculite insulation or if your house was built prior to 1970 it s likely that you have some form of asbestos in your attic or elsewhere.

If you notice that you have insulation that is falling apart in your building have a professional inspect for asbestos. In addition to building insulation vermiculite is commonly used with gardening for loosening soil. 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.

Asbestos has been linked to a variety of serious health conditions. 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. Used for fireproofing and insulation asbestos was a cheap and effective material that became an industry standard for buildings across the country. Therefore if you have asbestos insulation you need to properly identify it and have it safely removed from your house.

Vermiculite insulation alone is not dangerous being a pellet style mineral which expands with higher temperatures. The types of insulation that were most commonly made with asbestos are loose fill also called blown in insulation. Other insulation materials in use in the 1970s include vermiculite which can also be. 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.

Step 1 determine the age of your house. See this article on vermiculite and asbestos for more information. Vermiculite attic insulation is the main source of concern with asbestos dangers although asbestos is not in every brand. That is the loose granular insulation called vermiculite.