Vermiculite Asbestos Attic Insulation

Vermiculite attic insulation is a pebble like pour in product and is usually light brown gray or gold in color.

Vermiculite asbestos attic insulation.

Vermiculite attic insulation removal costs anywhere from 4 to 10 per square foot. The asbestos found in vermiculite is extremely friable and is the most dangerous type amphibole of asbestos. The epa says that vermiculite insulation which is the pebbly stuff found in attics of many older homes is only risky if it contains more than one percent asbestos. That s good news because most zonolite a type of vermiculite insulation falls into that category.

The vermiculite from libby is part of the longest man made environmental disaster in american history. If your home was built before 1990 you might have vermiculite insulation in your walls or attic. Vermiculite insulation removal costs. It is made from a natural mineral material that is mined from the earth.

Vermiculite is a mineral that was used for insulation. Vermiculite in and of itself is not dangerous. Consider this statement from research titled zonolite attic insulation exposure studies where even the suggested method for removal by the manufacturer grace created a very unsafe condition. Installing new insulation costs an average of 1 400.

Came from a mine in libby montana sold under the name zonolite. Most specialists encourage abatement. Vermiculite itself has not been shown to be a health problem. It was mined there for more than 50 years ending in 1990.

Once vermiculite is disturbed millions of asbestos fibers become airborne. What made the libby vermiculite so dangerous was its proximity to asbestos deposits. However the vermiculite used in about 70 percent of the zonolite product came from the montana mine mentioned a moment ago. The expanded vermiculite is a light weight fire resistant and odorless material and has been used in numerous products including insulation for attics and walls.

Not all vermiculite contains asbestos. Vermiculite is utilized for attic insulation as well as other purposes. However some vermiculite insulation contained asbestos fibres which can cause problems if inhaled. It may have shiny flakes and or small accordion like pieces see photos above.

One common brand was called zonolite. Vermiculite insulation has a pebble like appearance and typically is a grayish brown or silvery gold color. The insulation which was known by the brand name zonolite is most often found in residential attics. When heated to a high temperature flakes of vermiculite expand as much as 8 30 times their original size.

As long as this kind of vermiculite based insulation remains undisturbed behind intact walls or in attic spaces and does not become airborne it should not be a concern.