Blown In Attic Insulation Asbestos

There is one type of older insulation that has a significant possibility of being contaminated with asbestos.

Blown in attic insulation asbestos.

Step 1 determine the age of your house. In the late 1970s it became evident that asbestos fibers were very dangerous. The small fibers that come off of asbestos can kill you. In addition to building insulation vermiculite is commonly used with gardening for loosening soil.

Asbestos is in general terms flexible and soft but also has great corrosion resistant and heat resistant properties. Asbestos insulation many people do not know that asbestos is in fact a natural mineral. The types of insulation that were most commonly made with asbestos are loose fill also called blown in insulation. 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. Vermiculite was a popular insulation choice between 1919 and 1990. Fiberglass and cellulose are the most common insulation installed in residential attics today. Vermiculite is utilized for attic insulation as well as other purposes.

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 insulation alone is not dangerous being a pellet style mineral which expands with higher temperatures. 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. Asbestos has been directly linked to causing mesothelioma and lung cancer as a result of breathing it in.

That is the loose granular insulation called vermiculite. Therefore if you have asbestos insulation you need to properly identify it and have it safely removed from your house. 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. From the early 1950 s for a period of nearly forty years the construction industry used asbestos as an insulator and fire retardant.

Asbestos has been linked to a variety of serious health conditions. 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 illinois department of health notes that disturbed asbestos produces tiny needle like fibers that can cause irreparable lung damage. Loose fill insulation comes in a variety of materials.

An asbestos contaminated mine in libby montana supplied over 70 percent of the vermiculite used in insulation products. Vermiculite attic insulation is the main source of concern with asbestos dangers although asbestos is not in every brand.