Asbestos Blown In Attic Insulation

Asbestos is actually a natural fiber so if your attic insulation looks like wool there is a slight chance that it will contain asbestos.

Asbestos blown in attic insulation.

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 has been linked to a variety of serious health conditions. 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. Asbestos if disturbed can release microscopic fibers that get down into your lungs.

Although asbestos is currently banned as an insulating material in many countries buildings that were built before 1980 may still contain insulation with asbestos. 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. 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. You may also find thousands of loose particles within walls or under attic flooring.

It will take a long period of time to make a difference. Loose fill insulation comes in a variety of materials. Differences between asbestos and cellulose insulation. Vermiculite in and of itself is not dangerous.

Asbestos will not kill you immediately but it is similar to smoking cigarettes. However there are loose fill wall and attic insulation which can contain asbestos. In the late 1970s it became evident that asbestos fibers were very dangerous. Loose fill insulation is designed to be poured onto attic floors or blown into hollow spaces inside walls and other building structures.

Asbestos insulation was widely used as an insulation material in most residential commercial and public buildings constructed between 1920 and 1986. 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. Vermiculite is utilized for attic insulation as well as other purposes. If you re insulation is the batt style insulation as the loose fill insulation has the higher risk as it s loosely poured into wall or joist cavities.

It was very versatile affordable and it could be used in tiles and blow it with another material vermiculite. Fluffy loose fill asbestos insulation sometimes made almost entirely of the toxic mineral is extremely dangerous because even a slight air current can disturb it sending inhalable asbestos fibers into the air. It was used in construction materials including roofing materials asphalt shingles roofing felt adhesives putty caulking and patching materials. The types of insulation that were most commonly made with asbestos are loose fill also called blown in insulation.