Blown Attic Insulation 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.

Blown attic insulation asbestos. It was very versatile affordable and it could be used in tiles and blow it with another material vermiculite. With asbestos still being used as a very commonly used fire retardant and a very popular insulator right until the end of the 1980 s. Asbestos insulation was the biggest source of asbestos exposure for workers throughout the 20th century and it remains a toxic hazard in many homes and businesses to this day. With many homes from that era still standing it is no surprise to run into asbestos in some capacity.

Tremolite is similar to asbestos. There is one type of older insulation that has a significant possibility of being contaminated with asbestos. 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. 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.

The types of insulation that were most commonly made with asbestos are loose fill also called blown in insulation. It s considered a very natural product and does not contain asbestos. Asbestos is actually a natural fiber so if your attic insulation looks like wool there is a slight chance that it will contain asbestos. If you have damaged insulation you plan to remodel your building or you suspect your insulation may contain asbestos you need to contact an asbestos professional that is.

About 70 of u s. Because zonolite had been contaminated with tremolite it resulted in being a health hazard. Vermiculite attic insulation originated from the libby mine while 30 came from other sources. Differences between asbestos and cellulose insulation before we review the differences between continue reading how to tell the difference.

There is one primary source of asbestos attic insulation. In the late 1970s it became evident that asbestos fibers were very dangerous. Blown in insulation helped reduced electric bills but also generated a risk for the families who lived in them as asbestos was often used to make the insulation flame retardant. Asbestos has been linked to a variety of serious health conditions.

Several years ago asbestos was commonly used in everything from shingles to floor tiles and asbestos insulation was used in many homes that were built in the 1950s and 1960s. Asbestos was long considered an ideal material for almost all types of insulation until its cancer causing effects were. Your home was constructed prior to 1990. Loose fill insulation could contain asbestos if.

Although asbestos is currently banned as an insulating material in many countries buildings that were built before 1980 may still contain insulation with asbestos.