Is There Asbestos In My Attic

Loose fill insulation comes in a variety of materials.

Is there asbestos in my attic. If you have a particular brand of insulation in your home you may have asbestos in your attic. Attic insulation in older homes may contain asbestos that could fall through ceiling cracks. Attic insulation may contain asbestos too and just like the other asbestos containing materials and products it entails a great risk of developing severe diseases such as mesothelioma or lung cancer especially if it is in poor condition. Asbestos is actually a natural fiber so if your attic insulation looks like wool there is a slight chance that it will contain asbestos.

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. Used for fireproofing and insulation asbestos was a cheap and effective material that became an industry standard for buildings across the country. There is no known safe level of asbestos exposure.

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. 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 agency. If you see white tape on your ducts as shown in the photo above vermiculite insulation in your attic as shown below it s probably not causing a problem as long as it s undisturbed. Vermiculite insulation which may contain the tremolite types of asbestos is a big enough topic that i ll write a whole article about it later.

If you notice that you have insulation that is falling apart in your building have a professional inspect for asbestos. The types of insulation that were most commonly made with asbestos are loose fill also called blown in insulation. Despite their many uses the canadian government recognizes that inhaling asbestos particles can cause cancer and other diseases so it is important to be aware of potential asbestos contaminated materials in your home. While remodeling the attic of his 1960s home john found piles of brown pebble like insulation.

Asbestos fibers must be airborne to cause a health risk through inhalation so the first step is not to disturb the material which would release more fibers into the air. 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.