Vermiculite insultation



Vermiculite insulation found during a recent home inspection.


There have been many ads running lately on television and radio regarding Vermiculite insulation and the health concern that it may contain a type of asbestos. Some people say remove it, others say leave it. It's difficult to know the right thing to do and unfortunately, your home inspector is not allowed to answer this question for you either.
The best thing you can do is educate yourself on the matter. If you or your home inspector does find vermiculite insulation, you have some options. The first and most important option is to have it tested to see if it does contain asbestos. If it's your own home, send a sample to a registered lab. If it's a house you are buying and the inspector finds it, then you could ask the home owner to have it tested, or ask permission to take a sample for testing. Not all vermiculite does contain asbestos, so it may be a worthwhile exercise.
The next option you have is whether you want to have it removed, or live with it. There are pros and cons in each case and you should weigh your individual situation out carefully. Think about the potential issues you may have with re-sale for instance, or if you have a young or soon to be born family... these are important considerations. You might be OK with it, but I have had clients that walked away from the house after it was found- they just didn't want to have anything to do with it, even if the seller offered to have it professionally removed and replaced with new insulation.
Anyway, I have included some links on my website: http://www.nookncranny.ca under asbestos in the homeowner information tab, that will lead you to two reputable publications regarding the potential health concerns and what steps can be taken.
As always, please don't hesitate to contact me or post a comment if you have time.

Darren