Asbestos Insulation Old Home Attic

Attic insulation in older homes may contain asbestos that could fall through ceiling cracks.

Asbestos insulation old home attic.

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. Look in your attic for loose fill asbestos. One of the most common materials containing asbestos fibers is attic and wall insulation. Check the underside of your roof for a white or gray rough coating.

There exist a good many misconceptions about attic insulation and asbestos. There was also a deposit of asbestos at that mine so the vermiculite from libby was contaminated with asbestos. In homes built prior to 1975 asbestos is most commonly found as thermal insulation on basement boilers and pipes. While remodeling the attic of his 1960s home john found piles of brown pebble like insulation.

But just because your insulation is old doesn t mean it is dangerous. In older homes specifically asbestos may be found in many different materials from pipe insulation to flooring adhesive to roof shingles. Loose fill asbestos fiber can be a pale white color or it could be a darker dirty color depending on how old or how dirty it is. When disturbed tiny abrasive asbestos fibers are easily inhaled which damages lung tissue and can cause cancer.

If you reside in a home that was built or remodeled prior to 1990 the possibility exists that you may have attic insulation that contains asbestos. Asbestos insulation is a very common problem that many people have to deal with at some point. 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. Unfortunately it can also be found in a myriad of other household materials including.

Loose fill insulation could contain asbestos if. He decided to replace the existing insulation with new fiberglass insulation to save money in the winter months. Concerns about asbestos contaminated vermiculite insulation a mine near libby montana was the source of over 70 percent of all vermiculite sold in the united states from 1919 to 1990. Asbestos is actually a natural fiber so if your attic insulation looks like wool there is a slight chance that it will contain asbestos.

A home inspector pointed out that the insulation behind the upstairs knee walls is called something wool. Your home was constructed prior to 1990. I received an e mail from a homeowner concerned that his attic might have asbestos insulation. With many homes from that era still standing it is no surprise to run into asbestos in some capacity.

Check for asbestos insulation if your home has damage that needs repair.