Identifying Asbestos Insulation Attic

Properly identifying asbestos insulation can help you avoid some serious health problems in the future.

Identifying asbestos insulation attic. Asbestos insulation can also look like a cardboard covering. Asbestos can be found in the insulation used in walls attics the materials around plumbing and pipes electrical wiring as well as on heating and air conditioning units. Vermiculite attic insulation is the main source of concern with asbestos dangers although asbestos is not in every brand. This type of insulation was usually used on steam heating pipes between 1910 and 1980.

The types of insulation that were most commonly made with asbestos are loose fill also called blown in 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. Vermiculite insulation alone is not dangerous being a pellet style mineral which expands with higher temperatures. In addition to building insulation vermiculite is commonly used with gardening for loosening soil.

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. It is easy to identify by its loose lumpy form and fluffy or granular texture. If you notice that you have insulation that is falling apart in your building have a professional inspect for 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.

Step 4 positive identification of asbestos can only be obtained using polarizing light microscopy which is only available from a laboratory certified by the environmental protection agency.