FAMILYHANDYMAN.COM JULY/AUGUST 2019 235 things
you must
know about
vermiculite
1
WHAT IS IT?
Vermiculite is a mineral that
was used for insulation. If your
home was built before 1990, you
might have vermiculite insulation
in your walls or attic. Up to 85 per-
cent of all vermiculite insulation in
the U.S. came from a mine in Libby,
Montana, sold under the name
Zonolite.2
WHY IS IT BAD?
Nearly all vermiculite contains
asbestos, which can cause lung
cancer when inhaled. While it’s true
that undisturbed, encapsulated
asbestos doesn’t pose a health risk,
the asbestos in vermiculite insula-
tion isn’t encapsulated and can
easily become airborne during
cleaning, maintenance or remodel-
ing. And, the type of asbestos
found in vermiculite—called amphi-
bole—is even more hazardous than
the chrysotile asbestos that was
more commonly used in the U.S.3
FEDERAL GUIDELINES
ARE WEAK
The EPA (Environmental Protection
Agency) recommends that if you
have vermiculite, it’s best to
assume it contains asbestos and
leave it alone. You can have it
tested for asbestos, but here’s the
rub. The EPA defines an asbestos-
containing material (ACM) as
having greater than 1 percent
asbestos. If it’s found to contain
less than 1 percent asbestos, it’s
not considered an ACM. That’s mis-
leading, as it seems to imply that
the product is safe. But, as part of a
major class-action lawsuit, a study
determined that exposure to ver-
miculite with less than 1 percent
asbestos is still a potential health
hazard and the product should be
considered an ACM.4
WHAT TO DO
Contact an insulation contrac-
tor. In Minnesota, where I live, an
insulation contractor’s first step isHOME SMARTSI HEALTH
PHOTO:
ZONOLITE ATTIC INSULATION TRUST
(UPPER RIGHT); SHUTTERSTOCK/
PUMLEE
having the insulation
tested for asbestos.
The vast majority of
tests come back
having less than 1
percent asbestos.
That means no
asbestos abatement
contractors get
involved, and removal
of the vermiculite insula-
tion is done with essen-
tially a giant vacuum. The
risk of airborne particles in this
method is high. And according to
the Zonolite Attic Insulation Trust
(see No. 5), the presence of vermic-
ulite is tantamount to the presence
of asbestos. For this reason, I
recommend having this work done
by asbestos abatement profession-
als regardless of the test results.5
THE GOOD NEWS
The Zonolite Attic Insulation
Trust was established in 2014 to
help homeowners with the cost of
removing Zonolite Attic Insulation
from their homes. The trust reim-
burses homeowners for 55 percent
of their removal and reinsulation
costs, with a maximum payout per
owner of $4,125. So, if you havevermiculite insulation, look into
this. In the meantime, leave it
alone, even if you had it tested and
the test came back “clean.”
For more information, visit
zonoliteatticinsulation.com.
REUBEN SALTZMAN
HOME INSPECTORMEET THE EXPERT
Reuben Saltzman has
been a home inspector
since 1997 and is the
president of Structure
Tech, a home inspec-
tion company in St.
Louis Park, MN.Does your
attic insulation
look like this?
If so, it’s probably
vermiculite.