Does Your Vermiculite Insulation Contain Asbestos?
What is vermiculite? Vermiculite is a substance that was used in insulation in many homes and buildings throughout the 1900s. It can also be in warehouses, offices, anywhere that has insulation.
the main issue with vermiculite is that it can often contain asbestos. When the vermiculite becomes old it can sometimes break down and crumble apart. as it crumbles apart asbestos fibers can be released into the air, making the air hazardous for any one breathing it. Asbestos and vermiculite can even be mixed with other insulation materials that are not harmful like fiberglass. But again if the insulation is broken down at all the harmful fibers can be released into the air and be extremely dangerous for humans.
Why was vermiculite so popular? it mainly became popular because it is very strong and extremely fire-resistant. It was very cheap to manufacture and could be used for insulation, to be combined with concrete, put in tile and all sorts of other uses.
Even if the vermiculite insulation was not intentionally combined with asbestos, it was not uncommon for vermiculite to be mined from the Earth in the same place as asbestos mining Was taking place. Historically there was not much care taken to make sure that asbestos didn't contaminate other substances. This increases the risk even further that your insulation could contain asbestos if the insulation is made out of vermiculite.
Vermiculite insulation can often be identified simply by looking at it. It is a highly textured grainy material. it is often loose and bumpy and is off and brownish gold. If the building that you live or work in was built before 1990 and contains loose insulation that looks something like this it could be vermiculite insulation. The dangers of vermiculite insulation of the same as the dangers of asbestos insulation. We've talked about them in many of the other pages on our site: breathing issues, lung disease, cancer risks, and more.
If you suspect that you have vermiculite or asbestos insulation in your home or commercial building, have it tested by a professional. Call us to set up an appointment. Don't try to handle it yourself. Even trying to remove these dangerous fibers releases a large number of them into the air and can be extremely dangerous.
What is vermiculite? Vermiculite is a substance that was used in insulation in many homes and buildings throughout the 1900s. It can also be in warehouses, offices, anywhere that has insulation.
the main issue with vermiculite is that it can often contain asbestos. When the vermiculite becomes old it can sometimes break down and crumble apart. as it crumbles apart asbestos fibers can be released into the air, making the air hazardous for any one breathing it. Asbestos and vermiculite can even be mixed with other insulation materials that are not harmful like fiberglass. But again if the insulation is broken down at all the harmful fibers can be released into the air and be extremely dangerous for humans.
Why was vermiculite so popular? it mainly became popular because it is very strong and extremely fire-resistant. It was very cheap to manufacture and could be used for insulation, to be combined with concrete, put in tile and all sorts of other uses.
Even if the vermiculite insulation was not intentionally combined with asbestos, it was not uncommon for vermiculite to be mined from the Earth in the same place as asbestos mining Was taking place. Historically there was not much care taken to make sure that asbestos didn't contaminate other substances. This increases the risk even further that your insulation could contain asbestos if the insulation is made out of vermiculite.
Vermiculite insulation can often be identified simply by looking at it. It is a highly textured grainy material. it is often loose and bumpy and is off and brownish gold. If the building that you live or work in was built before 1990 and contains loose insulation that looks something like this it could be vermiculite insulation. The dangers of vermiculite insulation of the same as the dangers of asbestos insulation. We've talked about them in many of the other pages on our site: breathing issues, lung disease, cancer risks, and more.
If you suspect that you have vermiculite or asbestos insulation in your home or commercial building, have it tested by a professional. Call us to set up an appointment. Don't try to handle it yourself. Even trying to remove these dangerous fibers releases a large number of them into the air and can be extremely dangerous.
