Asbestos Fibers In The Attic?

I have been blogging about asbestos lately. Not sure just why. However, here is one concern that pops up every so often in the form of vermiculite attic insulation. While vermiculite is a mineral that is different than asbestos, the problem is that vermiculite mined prior to 1991 came from a mine near Libby, Montana. The mine has a natural deposit of asbestos which tainted some of the vermiculite with asbestos fibers. While it is not for sure that all of this insulation will have asbestos fibers, it is considered possible to likely that it will. Basically, the EPA suggests that, if you have older vermiculite, leave it alone and do not disturb it. Modern vermiculite, since 1991,  is coming from three other US facilities and is considered to have very low potential for contamination. Again, not unlike the asbestos cement siding, a problem with this attic insulation comes in when you want to remodel. Moving it around stirs it up, not what you want to do with asbestos. They also suggest you not let kids play in closets with vermiculite, don't store things on it. Just leave it alone. For more information, below is a photo of what it looks like, pretty close to life size. And there is a link to the EPA site explaining everything you ever wanted to know about it. You will see this, it is pretty common.

http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/insulation.html#WhatIf

The EPA states that, since asbestos is a contaminant in the vermiculite, a homeowner might assume that all older vermiculite has at least trace elements of asbestos. It can be difficult to find small quantities of asbestos in a lab test. But, if a homeowner is really concerned about vermiculite, he or she still might find piece of mind by having the material tested at a lab. Don't do that without first getting the information or a kit from the lab, so you can learn how to safely and properly collect the material. You need, at a minimum, samples from different parts of the attic. If you do not know where to find a lab, or maybe you want a professional to do the test for you, then call a home inspector in your town. Let the home inspector climb up on the ladder and take the samples for you. The fee should be quite low for this simple service.

Steven L. Smith

www.kingofthehouse.com