Attic insulation

[Chad E. Nounnan]

This is from a 1958 home. Asbestos possibilty?

[Larry D. Kage]

Looks like loose fill cellulose...not a problem.

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

I've never heard that absestos was used as loose fill residential insulation.

[Roy D. Cooke, Sr]

Originally Posted by cnounnan

This is from a 1958 home. Asbestos possibilty?

More then likley rock wool . It almost squeeks when you squeeze it .
I would be surprised if it was asbestious .
Did you take a sample . Asbestous an water make like almost bread dough and will dry out to a very weak ball if this is the shpe you leave it in.
Can be broke apart . We used to make castles and do geography with it when I went to school.
You can not do this with rock wool and rock wool is more lumpy like shown in picture .
Roy Cooke sr

[Michael R. Boyett]

I agree, that looks like rock wool (fiberglass) insulation to me too. Asbestos looks like this, not that that you can see much though:
Attachment 4942

[Roy D. Cooke, Sr]

Originally Posted by mboyett

I agree, that looks like rock wool (fiberglass) insulation to me too. Asbestos looks like this, not that that you can see much though:
Attachment 4942

Fibre Glass and Rock wool are not the same they are both man made but from different material.

http://www.naima.org/pages/resources...html/N016.HTML
Fiber Glass Insulation Is Made From Sand or Recycled Glass

• <LI class=body>Sand is a "rapidly renewable resource," one that will always be in plentiful supply. Thus, the use of sand as a raw material does not impose any impact on a non- renewable natural resource.
• Recycled plate and bottle glass is considered a secondary raw material. When used as a raw material, recycled glass is transformed into a product that saves energy and reduces pollution.

Slag Wool Insulation Is Made from Blast Furnace Slag

• Slag wool insulation uses raw materials derived from a secondary source - blast furnace slag - and does not deplete any natural resources.

Roy Cooke sr

[Roy D. Cooke, Sr]

Another type of insulation to be aware of is Vermiculite Zonolite was one type


Some look like small cubes with 1/4 inch± with a shiny side like MICA some other was smaller like 1/8± grey white both are very lite and some have been known to contain asbestos
http://www.gov.mb.ca/labour/safety/pdf/bltn245.pdf I believe this has been talked about before on this BB but it is worth while to bring it up for the newer HIs.
Roy Cooke sr

[Russel Ray]

Originally Posted by lkage

Looks like loose fill cellulose...not a problem.

My take as well.

[Russel Ray]

Originally Posted by jfunderburk

I've never heard that absestos was used as loose fill residential insulation.

It comes in the form of vermiculite. W.R. Grace and company produced most of it under the brand name "Zolonite." I got this from some web site some time in the past:

Asbestos and Zolonite

Zolonite is the brand name of W. R. Grace and Company-produced vermiculite, an asbestos-related product used in a variety of horticulture products, brake pads, acoustic tiles, and insulation. Although W.R. Grace has a number of asbestos processing plants throughout the country, a large mining operation in Libby, Montana was shut down by the U.S. government in 1990 in response to the dangers posed by asbestos mines. Unfortunately, more than 35 million people have some form of Zolonite and vermiculite in their homes.

[Barry Adair]

If a picture is worth 1,000 words.
The only ones of value are, "have it TESTED", if you want to be certain.

With that said photo does look like dusty old rockwool. All the loose fill asbestos I've seen is pelletized chunks, with fibers in all directions, very obvious.

http://www.dmme.virginia.gov/De/energybook/hbchap3.html

http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/insulation_airsealing/index.cfm/mytopic=11510

[ccbrands1]

based on the pic, it could go either way.
rock wool or cellulose.
dont think its asbestos.
touching it would confirm.

[Russel Ray]

Originally Posted by ccbrands1

based on the pic, it could go either way.
rock wool or cellulose.
dont think its asbestos.
touching it would confirm.

Can you explain how touching it would confirm whether or not it is asbestos? I can find no touching protocols for such determination.

[Michael R. Boyett]

Touch it, taste it, breathe it, wait 20 years to see if asbestosis or mesothelioma occurs, if not then it's not asbestos. Pretty simple, albeit slow, protocol.

[Marcel R. Cyr]

MBoyyet;
Your good, I did just that, I touched it, installed it, waited 20 years and still here so it was not Asbestos, right? Wrong. Worked and installed Zonilite also and not Zolilite. Still here. Roy is correct in his post to help us distinguish what had asbestos content and what did not. The picuture showed here is blown or bag cellulose.

As far as I know back in 1963 when my father had me on the job, most attic insulation was wood shavings, do you believe that. I do. I use to fall asleep installing it. ha. ha. That usually was reflected in my pay.
50 cents an hour, slept for two. Man that hurt. ha. ha.

Marcel

[Roy D. Cooke, Sr]

Originally Posted by rray

Can you explain how touching it would confirm whether or not it is asbestos?
I can find no touching protocols for such determination.

I can find no protocol to tell if a motor is running hot or if a breaker was to hot .
And how much asbestos have you seen . I have installed by the bag full wet it down to put on jacket heaters ( before electric water heaters ). Installed it on water heaters before they came insulated .
. Forty years ago we had no fancy thermometers . My hand did the job then and does the job now .
Motor if I can hold my hand on it and count to ten it is not to hot .
Saw some motors I had to count fast .
New is not alway better . dead pater drop your thermometer or leave it at last inspection you are out of luck . My hand works for me .
My computer continues to function fine it is seven inches long yellow wood frame and has a brown delete button on the end . Been working great for 50± years .
Roy Cooke Sr