Vermiculite Attic Insulation Uk

Vermiculite was a common attic insulation product sold from the late 1920s to the early 1990s.

Vermiculite attic insulation uk.

Unfortunately almost all vermiculite insulation contains asbestos and is unsafe when disturbed. It could be purchased locally and could be installed by contractor or homeowner. The epa says that vermiculite insulation which is the pebbly stuff found in attics of many older homes is only risky if it contains more than one percent asbestos. It can be gold light brown or gray in color and bears a resemblance to small piece of popcorn.

Up until the early 1990 s much of this insulation was sold in bags under the brand name of zonolite. That s good news because most zonolite a type of vermiculite insulation falls into that category. This expanded form and the fact that vermiculite does not burn made the material suitable for use as insulation. These deposits contaminated the vermiculite and then became transferred into people s homes.

Is all vermiculite a health concern. Vermiculite is a silver gold to gray brown mineral that is flat and shiny in its natural state. One of the types of attic insulation that i find occasionally in my home inspections is a loose fill product called vermiculite. The concerns about the dangers with vermiculite insulation in the uk stem from the fact that until the 1990s most vermiculite originated from a mine in america which also contained asbestos deposits.

Vermiculite is a naturally occurring mineral primarily a combination of silicon magnesium and aluminium it is easy to handle sound absorbent resistant to decay fire resistant and fibre free the free running properties of vermiculite make it simple to install.