Is Old Grey Attic Insulation Dangerious
Services crawl space attic insulation.
Is old grey attic insulation dangerious. If the loose fill insulation is grey puffy and fibrous then that is rock wool insulation. Formaldehyde off gasing is a concern so this product is no longer on the market. Although most people are aware of the dangers of asbestos there are a few more types of hazardous insulation that are commonly found in older homes. One of the most common materials containing asbestos fibers is attic and wall insulation.
How to identify building insulation photos provide an isulating material identification guide. Fiberglass insulation a man made mineral fiber con structed from a variety of materials such as sand and recycled glass is the most popular form of insulation in the united states more than 90 percent of homes in america are lined with the pink stuff source. In addition to building insulation vermiculite is commonly used with. But just because your insulation is old doesn t mean it is dangerous.
Vermiculite insulation alone is not dangerous being a pellet style mineral which expands with higher temperatures. Homeowners can also come across fiberglass insulation during repairing or clearing out the attic. How to replace it. Vermiculite attic insulation is the main source of concern with asbestos dangers although asbestos is not in every brand.
Most people are aware of the dangers of asbestos which may cause cancer and other health problems. Old insulation will cause higher energy bills invite rodents into your home and make the air in your home unhealthy to breathe. But while many see the benefits of insulating our houses. In case of a fire it gives off an extremely toxic smoke that is more dangerous than regular smoke.
Although some homeowners have used it in this way it was never approved for use in the attic. The major attic insulation dangers from this type of material would come from combustion. Photo guide to identification of different building insulation materials properties of different building insulation products description of non asbestos materials sometimes mistaken for asbestos in buildings types photographs of building insulation that does not normally contain asbestos. If the insulation is not properly sealed off it can get into air vents and circulate through the building.
Fiberglass insulation is not generally considered to be dangerous but it can irritate the skin and respiratory system. Now that we know the old attic insulation types on the market the question is whether there is a newer more modern alternative available. A few more examples of old insulation are sawdust balsa wood shredded newspaper and loose fill cellulose.