The Air That You Breathe - Vermiculite Attic Insulation and Asbestos Fibers
Do you have, or have you heard of, vermiculite attic insulation? It is a common mineral that we home inspectors often find in attics. It looks like crushed rocks and a bit like rabbit ration -- the pellets you feed rabbits and hamsters. Despite the innocent, if unusual appearance, there could be safety concerns with this product if it is disturbed. Vermiculite is a mineral that is different than asbestos, but the problem is simple: Vermiculite, mined prior to 1991, came from a mine near Libby, Montana. The mine had a natural deposit of asbestos present which tainted some of the vermiculite with the asbestos fibers. Authorities do not believe that all of the vermiculite was affected but it is considered possible to likely that any attic insulation installed prior to 1991 will contain some asbestos. What to do? The EPA suggests that, if you have older vermiculite, leave it alone and do not disturb it. Modern vermiculite, since 1991, comes from three US facilities and is considere...