Asbestos Insulation In The Attic

While asbestos is a natural material and fiberglass is man made the two materials are often compared because they re both fibrous.

Asbestos insulation in the attic.

It could be purchased locally and could be installed by contractor or homeowner. 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 was a common attic insulation product sold from the late 1920s to the early 1990s. Asbestos was incorporated in the insulation of different types including attic insulation.

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. These fibers consist of millions of microscopic fibrils. 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. These are thin visible fibers.

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. The types of insulation that were most commonly made with asbestos are loose fill also called blown in insulation. Used for fireproofing and insulation asbestos was a cheap and effective material that became an industry standard for buildings across the country. For years asbestos was the ideal material used in attic insulation until major health effects were brought to light.

Asbestos is dangerous because it contains what is known as fibrous crystals. This quality made fiberglass a good substitute once the health effects of asbestos became apparent. 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. Asbestos attic insulation photos.

You are interested in. It also has the heat resistant qualities that made asbestos so desirable for insulation. Loose fill insulation comes in a variety of materials. Attic insulation and rodent proofing in san diego request a free estimate.

Asbestos is actually a natural fiber so if your attic insulation looks like wool there is a slight chance that it will contain asbestos. Here are selected photos on this topic but full relevance is not guaranteed. 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.