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.
Is old grey attic insulation dangerious.
But while many see the benefits of insulating our houses.
If the loose fill insulation is grey puffy and fibrous then that is rock wool insulation.
How to replace it.
Services crawl space attic insulation.
In case of a fire it gives off an extremely toxic smoke that is more dangerous than regular smoke.
In addition to building insulation vermiculite is commonly used with.
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.
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.
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.
Vermiculite attic insulation is the main source of concern with asbestos dangers although asbestos is not in every brand.
Although some homeowners have used it in this way it was never approved for use in the attic.
Now that we know the old attic insulation types on the market the question is whether there is a newer more modern alternative available.
Types of dangerous old insulation.
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.
Old insulation will cause higher energy bills invite rodents into your home and make the air in your home unhealthy to breathe.
How to identify building insulation photos provide an isulating material identification guide.
The major attic insulation dangers from this type of material would come from combustion.
One of the most common materials containing asbestos fibers is attic and wall insulation.
Fiberglass insulation is not generally considered to be dangerous but it can irritate the skin and respiratory system.
If the insulation is not properly sealed off it can get into air vents and circulate through the building.
Homeowners can also come across fiberglass insulation during repairing or clearing out the attic.
In older homes specifically asbestos may be found in many different materials from pipe insulation to flooring adhesive to roof shingles.
