Is Old Grey Attic Insulation Dangerious

The major attic insulation dangers from this type of material would come from combustion.

Is old grey attic insulation dangerious.

But just because your insulation is old doesn t mean it is dangerous. All of those can be a dangerous risk. Types of dangerous old insulation. Two types of old insulation that are dangerous to your health are urea formaldehyde foam which is usually gray or yellow and brittle and asbestos.

Although some homeowners have used it in this way it was never approved for use in the attic. Make sure any area containing vermiculite insulation is sealed off from the interior of your home. Blown insulation or blown in insulation is a technique used to insulate odd shaped and hard to reach crevices and cavities. Most people are aware of the dangers of asbestos which may cause cancer and other health problems.

You may also find thousands upon thousands of loose particles beneath the floorboards of your attic and inside walls. Even old newspaper insulation will still keep much of its thermal properties so unless you need to remove the insulation for other reasons it isn t worth taking the insulation out for efficiency reasons alone. How to replace it. Use caulk or spray foam around seams light fixtures fans and switches as well as plumbing pipes or.

Seal off vermiculite insulation. Vermiculite insulation alone is not dangerous being a pellet style mineral which expands with higher temperatures. One of the most common materials containing asbestos fibers is attic and wall insulation. The primary sources of asbestos danger include vermiculite attic insulation.

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. Now that we know the old attic insulation types on the market the question is whether there is a newer more modern alternative available.

Don t store anything in attics insulated with vermiculite and make the area is off limits. Further old loft insulation will not biodegrade when put in landfill so throwing it away is not very environmentally friendly. In older homes specifically asbestos may be found in many different materials from pipe insulation to flooring adhesive to roof shingles. Vermiculite insulation granules keep out of contaminated areas.

Vermiculite attic insulation is the main source of concern with asbestos dangers although asbestos is not in every brand. In addition to building insulation vermiculite is commonly used with. Read on to learn more about whether your attic insulation contains asbestos.