Do you have, or have you heard of, vermiculite attic insulation? It is a common mineral that we home inspectors often find in attics. It looks like crushed rocks and a bit like rabbit ration -- the pellets you feed rabbits and hamsters. Despite the innocent, if unusual appearance, there could be safety concerns with this product if it is disturbed. Vermiculite is a mineral that is different than asbestos, but the problem is simple: Vermiculite, mined prior to 1991, came from a mine near Libby, Montana.
The mine had a natural deposit of asbestos present which tainted some of the vermiculite with the asbestos fibers. Authorities do not believe that all of the vermiculite was affected but it is considered possible to likely that any attic insulation installed prior to 1991 will contain some asbestos. What to do? The EPA suggests that, if you have older vermiculite, leave it alone and do not disturb it. Modern vermiculite, since 1991, comes from three US facilities and is considered to be safe.
So, in a nutshell, the biggest problem with the attic insulation comes into play if you want to remodel. Moving it around stirs it up, makes it airborne, and that is not what you want to do. In fact, storing belongings in such attics, or kids playing in the space, should not be allowed. For example, I inspected a home once, where an attic had been converted to a bedroom, and vermiculite was openly visible on the floor of all of the bedroom closets. Just opening the door and getting dressed in the morning would stir it up.
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.
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