Is It Harmful To Have Adbestos In My Attic

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.

Is it harmful to have adbestos in my attic.

Vermiculite insulation granules assume asbestos contamination. Vermiculite is a mineral that was used for insulation. Came from a mine in libby montana sold under the name zonolite. 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.

Used for fireproofing and insulation asbestos was a cheap and effective material that became an industry standard for buildings across the country. If your home was built before 1990 you might have vermiculite insulation in your walls or attic. If your insulation contains particles that have a silver gold or gray brown color it may contain asbestos. Asbestos occurs in six mineral types and all have fibers that are harmful to lung tissue getting embedded in lung tissue and causing inflammation scarring and eventually tumors.

If you do not go into your attic handle or disturb the insulation it is likely that you will not be exposed to asbestos fibers from vermiculite insulation. Asbestos is actually a natural fiber so if your attic insulation looks like wool there is a slight chance that it will contain asbestos. Up to 85 percent of all vermiculite insulation in the u s. As those systems work harder we use more energy and pay much higher utility bills.

So to be safe treat all vermiculite insulation as if it contains asbestos. The types of insulation that were most commonly made with asbestos are loose fill also called blown in insulation. We have heating and air conditioning systems to fix these problems but the more opportunities warm air has to flow out of or into the house the harder those systems have to work. This increases the risk to your health and your family s health.

Check with your provincial and territorial workplace safety authorities to find out the qualifications or certifications needed in your area. If you have vermiculite based insulation in your attic it may contain asbestos. Also you need to consider if any disturbance of the insulation possibly by a contractor doing work in your attic may result in the fibers being deposited into other areas of your. Odds are reduced but not completely eliminated if your home was built or renovated after 1990.

You may have this type of insulation in your attic if your home was built or remodeled prior to 1990. Avoid disturbing asbestos materials yourself. The photo below from the us geological survey shows the fibers of the chrysotile type which makes up about 90 of all the commercially available 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.

A properly insulated home will save money on energy costs by resisting the flow of heat and making your heating and air.