How To Safely Work In Attic With Vermaculite

In this picture the vermiculite is in contact with both fiberglass and cellulose and these materials must also be treated as contaminated.

How to safely work in attic with vermaculite.

Leave the removal of vermiculite to professional asbestos contractors. In the meantime homeowners should avoid using vermiculite insulated attics as storage space. Do not allow children to play in an attic with vermiculite insulation. Vermiculite is a naturally occurring mineral that is perfectly safe when pure.

You simply can t air seal an attic properly without first removing all of the granules of vermiculite that are covering the attic floor. Removal costs are lowest when there is only 2 3 of pure vermiculite zonolite in an attic with easy access and a high peak. When vermiculite is 6 8 deep the cost to remove increases. Only put one foot on one joist at a time.

If an attic is insulated with a thin layer of vermiculite a layer that provides less than the minimum r value required by code it s hard to come up with a good way to improve the insulation layer especially if the ceiling has air leaks. Any movement of the vermiculite may release asbestos fibers into the air and eventually into the lungs of the home s occupants. So if you have vermiculite insulation look into this. Do not attempt to remove the insulation yourself.

The step of air sealing the attic plane has been a building code requirement for new construction homes for almost 20 years. You should also minimize any other tripping hazards such as loose cables and wires low hanging beams exposed nails and building scraps. The zonolite attic insulation trust was established in 2014 to help homeowners with the cost of removing zonolite attic insulation from their homes. The trust reimburses homeowners for 55 percent of their removal and reinsulation costs with a maximum payout per owner of 4 125.

That s why it s so much better to have an attic with no insulation at all than it is to have an attic with 8 inches of vermiculite. Leave vermiculite insulation undisturbed in your attic or in your walls. Children should be kept away from the attic too. Vermiculite insulation is no longer used in new construction but an estimated one million homes in the u s.

If your attic contains vermiculite.