Identifying Asbestos Attic Insulation

Asbestos can be found in the insulation used in walls attics the materials around plumbing and pipes electrical wiring as well as on heating and air conditioning units.

Identifying asbestos attic insulation.

If you notice that you have insulation that is falling apart in your building have a professional inspect for asbestos. Loose fill insulation comes in a variety of materials. Properly identifying asbestos insulation can help you avoid some serious health problems in the future. Asbestos insulation can also look like a cardboard covering.

It is easy to identify by its loose lumpy form and fluffy or granular texture. The small fibers that come off of asbestos can kill you. 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. Identifying asbestos insulation when it comes to asbestos it rarely needs introduced at this point.

The types of insulation that were most commonly made with asbestos are loose fill also called blown in insulation. The majority of homeowners need to be educated on the general danger of breathing and disturbing asbestos fiber. Asbestos has been directly linked to causing mesothelioma and lung cancer as a result of breathing it in. Older buildings and homes may have asbestos within products from hot water piping insulation to furnace insulation even floor tiles.

Asbestos is actually a natural fiber so if your attic insulation looks like wool there is a slight chance that it will contain asbestos. 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. Vermiculite attic insulation is the main source of concern with asbestos dangers although asbestos is not in every brand. Vermiculite insulation alone is not dangerous being a pellet style mineral which expands with higher temperatures.