It s fire resistant and has strong insulation properties.
Vermiculite in attic canada.
As long as this kind of vermiculite based insulation remains undisturbed behind intact walls or in attic spaces and does not become airborne it should not be a concern.
Extracted from the mine between 1920 and 1990 this vermiculite insulation was sold in large bags mainly but not exclusively under the trademark zonolite attic insulation.
The zonolite attic insulation trust zai trust was created to help educate the public about the possible health effects of asbestos containing vermiculite and to provide partial reimbursement for zai removal to qualified claimants.
Vermiculite removal and decontamination in the attic roof space loft walls and basement sub floors must be performed when there is presence of contamination.
That s good news because most zonolite a type of vermiculite insulation falls into that category.
To assess the risk of asbestos exposure at a house a sample of the vermiculite would need to be analyzed by a lab.
This insulation was sold in canada under the name of zonolite and was extracted from the libby mine in montana usa.
Of concern is vermiculite ore produced by the libby mine in montana from the 1920 s to 1990.
If your attic contains vermiculite.
Vermiculite from the libby mine may contain asbestos.
Previously sold under the name zonolite this material was widely used as thermal insulation in roof spaces loft particularly since consumers could install it themselves.
It was sold as zonolite attic insulation and possibly other brands in canada during that time.
The good news is that we don t live in our attics.
The mine was closed in 1990.
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.
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.
If vermiculite based insulation is contained and not exposed to the home or interior environment it poses very little risk.
It was incorporated into home insulation products branded zonolite attic insulation in.
As well as being rich in vermiculite this mine had the misfortune of having a deposit of tremolite a type of asbestos.
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.
Of concern is zonolite attic insulation.
The libby mine supplied the majority of the world market in vermiculite based insulation.
That vermiculite is the zonolite brand.
In order to be eligible for reimbursement a claimant must be able to show.
