Identify Asbestos Attic Insulation

Loose fill insulation comes in a variety of materials.

Identify asbestos attic insulation.

Vermiculite insulation alone is not dangerous being a pellet style mineral which expands with higher temperatures. Vermiculite insulation alone is not dangerous being a pellet style mineral which expands with higher temperatures. 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. It is easy to identify by its loose lumpy form and fluffy or granular texture.

There isn t necessarily a surefire way to tell if your insulation has asbestos unless it s labeled or you have an expert take a look. Vermiculite attic insulation is the main source of concern with asbestos dangers although asbestos is not in every brand. So how do you identify if your attic insulation contains asbestos. 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. Do not try to remove insulation that could contain asbestos yourself. In addition to building insulation vermiculite is commonly used with gardening for loosening soil.

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. Below we will discuss specifics about loose fill insulation which could contain asbestos. Asbestos insulation can also look like a cardboard covering.