Are you concerned that your home may have vermiculite insulation? If so, your concerns may be related to whether you are at risk for asbestos exposure. Keep in mind that not all vermiculite contains asbestos, and testing needs to be performed to confirm whether the insulation in your home indeed contains asbestos.

Do not make the mistake of purchasing a do-it-yourself testing kit to send samples to a laboratory. Even small samples can result in fibers being released in the air. This is why you should rely on professional asbestos abatement contractors when it comes to testing the insulation in your home. 

Knowing Your Options

The presence of asbestos in your insulation is not necessarily a reason to have the material extracted. The most important thing to take into consideration is the location of the material. As long as it is behind intact walls or sealed off in attics, there is not a reason to be overly concerned. Some people may even say to leave the matter alone if this is the case because the vermiculite is contained, and therefore, the airborne release of fibers is not likely to happen.

On the other hand, if you have plans to renovate your property. You need to know whether asbestos is present in the insulation. This is necessary because the workers who perform the services need to be informed about the risk of exposure. If asbestos is found in the insulation,vermiculite removal may be the first part of the renovation project. 

Protection Tips

If you find out that vermiculite is present in your attic and you do not have plans of remediation in the attic area, ensure that you do not store anything in your attic. Also, make sure that everyone in your home knows that the attic area should not ever be accessed for any reason. 

Inform any contractors who need to access your property that vermiculite is present. This may prompt them to ensure they are wearing the correct protective gear when accessing certain areas of your property. 

Use caution when opting for any type of upgrades that require amendments to be made to your ceilings or walls. This applies even if the upgrades are not major. For example, workers could disturb the vermiculite by cutting into a wall to install an electrical socket, and a similar disturbance could occur if a hole is made in a ceiling to install a ceiling fan or light fixture.