How To Tell If Your Attic Insulation Has Asbestos

If you re unsure if your insulation contains asbestos play it safe and contact a professional to inspect it.

How to tell if your attic insulation has asbestos.

Asbestos is actually a natural fiber so if your attic insulation looks like wool there is a slight chance that it will contain asbestos. Several years ago asbestos was commonly used in everything from shingles to floor tiles and asbestos insulation was used in many homes that were built in the 1950s and 1960s. Do not try to remove insulation that could contain asbestos yourself. Tremolite has similarities to asbestos.

The date of the building or material can also tell you a lot about asbestos risk. Loose fill insulation could have 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. 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.

If your attic or wall insulation is in batt or blanket form whether it s fiberglass cellulose or another material you generally don t have to be concerned about asbestos. The types of insulation that were most commonly made with asbestos are loose fill also called blown in insulation. In case your home was constructed after then it does reduce your chance of containing asbestos in the insulation. Also you need to consider if any disturbance of the insulation possibly by a contractor doing work in your attic may result in the fibers being deposited into other areas of your.

Asbestos insulation was widely used as an insulation material in most residential commercial and public buildings constructed between 1920 and 1986. The libby mine was closed in 1990. In case your home was constructed before 1990 it could have been built using insulation containing asbestos. Asbestos insulation is a very common problem that many people have to deal with at some point.

With many homes from that era still standing it is no surprise to run into asbestos in some capacity. Consequently if your attic insulation looks like wool you should have a sample tested in order to make sure you are safe within your home. Check the manufacturer and product name on the insulation label and do a web search to find out if it contains asbestos. Buildings made between the 1940s and the 1980s are very likely to have used asbestos materials.