Vermiculite and Asbestos Insulation

vermiculite

I have had many calls this past summer regarding attics that may have vermiculite, and in turn may have asbestos.  Vermiculite is a type of insulation used from the 1950's all the way to 1990 in Canada.
 Some vermiculite contains asbestos, which is dangerous to inhale.  If you see this type of insulation in your walls or attic, you need to try and avoid disturbing it, and get it tested to see if it contains asbestos.  See our page on asbestos info for some help.
If your test is negative for asbestos, you can remove the insulation yourself, or cover it with new blown-in fibreglass, to increase your R-Value in the attic.  If your test is positve for asbestos you either need to seal up your attic, and don't go in again, or contract a company to remove the asbestos safely. Removal is expensive, but could save you problems in the future when you go to sell the property, and the vermiculite is noticed by the home inspector/potential buyer.