? ? ? Vermiculite ? ? ?

Questions, as the title suggests, surround vermiculite.

Is the sale dead if you discover vermiculite in the attic? When inspecting the attics of older homes, we often come across vermiculite insulation buried under more recently installed fibreglass or cellulose insulation. Some of this granular type of product was mined from a company in the U.S. and contained asbestos. This doesn’t have to be a deal killer as long as all parties are aware of the implications.

Not all vermiculite contains asbestos!   Not all vermiculite contains asbestos and Health Canada states that vermiculite need not be a concern provided it remains undisturbed in the attic and ceilings are properly sealed from attic dust. The labs say that the older large granular vermiculite doesn’t typically contain asbestos. Vermiculite is a mica-like mineral mined around the world and used in a variety of commercial and consumer products because it is fire-resistant and has good insulation qualities. Of concern is vermiculite ore produced by the Libby Mine in Montana from the 1920's to 1990. It was sold as Zonolite® Attic Insulation and possibly other brands in Canada during that time. Vermiculite from the Libby Mine may contain amphibole asbestos. The Libby Mine supplied the majority of the world market in vermiculite-based insulation.   Be aware that vermiculite is expensive to remove if that is your decision ($13-$15 sq. ft. and up) and all other insulation must be removed and replaced as well.  The home owner or contractor is usually responsible to obtain a sample from the attic, although for a price the lab may also do this.  Many lab “tests” seem to produce the same result of 1% asbestos.  Although the overall percentages of amphibole asbestos in bulk vermiculite are very low, the airborne percentages can increase if the material is disturbed. Asbestos poses health risks only when fibres are present in the air that people breathe. If asbestos fibres are enclosed or tightly bound in a product, for example in asbestos siding or asbestos floor tiles, there are no significant health risks. How exposure to asbestos can affect you depends on:        the concentration of asbestos fibres in the air;        how long the exposure lasted;        how often you were exposed;        the size of the asbestos fibres inhaled; and        the amount of time since the initial exposure. When inhaled in significant quantities, asbestos fibres can cause asbestosis (a scarring of the lungs which makes breathing difficult), mesothelioma (a rare cancer of the lining of the chest or abdominal cavity) and lung cancer. The link between exposure to asbestos and other types of cancers is less clear.  --Thanks to Fleetwood Building Inspection (FBI)

 

 

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