Asbestos In Attic Space

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.

Asbestos in attic space.

Attic insulation in older homes may contain asbestos that could fall through ceiling cracks. The unfortunate side effects of exposure to asbestos include things as benign as a skin irritation to conditions as severe as lung cancer. Asbestos attic insulation may be one of the worst possible kinds to have in a home these days. 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.

Loose fill insulation comes in a variety of materials. If the asbestos is undisturbed and it s sealed away from your home s living space such as in a ventilated attic or inside the walls many homeowners decide to leave vermiculite insulation alone rather than spending thousands of dollars on remediation. Get residential commercial encapsulation cleanup disposal estimates. Used for fireproofing and insulation asbestos was a cheap and effective material that became an industry standard for buildings across the country.

Homeadvisor s asbestos removal cost guide gives average abatement prices per sq ft in ceiling or floor tiles vermiculite attic insulation roofs ducts pipes or drywall. Asbestos was a popular material for most of the twentieth century mainly because of its ability to insulate and act as a fire retardant. Asbestos attic insulation is common in older homes as asbestos was inexpensive and an effective insulation. He decided to replace the existing insulation with new fiberglass insulation to save money in the winter months.

There is one primary source of asbestos attic insulation. Check the underside of your roof for a white or gray rough coating. Even small movements can send asbestos particles into the air. Look in your attic for loose fill asbestos.

While remodeling the attic of his 1960s home john found piles of brown pebble like insulation. There are other sources of asbestos in attic insulation but this single source significantly outpaces the others 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. 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. The types of insulation that were most commonly made with asbestos are loose fill also called blown in insulation.