How to Tell If Your Insulation Has Asbestos
Most homeowners know that if their home or business was built before 1990, it might contain asbestos. It’s common in textured paint, walls, floors, roofs, oil and coal furnaces, and even the soil around your home from deterioration or previous inappropriate removal.
But did you know that your insulation might also contain asbestos? Unlike other countries, we are fortunate to have very few asbestos insulation products here in New Zealand. Still, that doesn’t mean our old insulation is 100% asbestos-free and that working with any insulation doesn’t present hazards.
Below, you can learn more about asbestos insulation, including how to tell if your home has it.
What Is Asbestos Insulation?
Asbestos insulation is an insulating product used to retain warmth. It might refer to the insulation you find in your home’s walls and ceiling or even in old oil and coal furnaces, wood burners, and door gaskets.
Asbestos insulation was also commonly used around hot water cylinders and their pipes and joins. In this form, it can sometimes look like rough, grey concrete but is also often painted or coated with a protective covering.
While not very common in New Zealand, asbestos insulation could also be blown-in asbestos. This loose insulation product was once imported into the country.
The most notorious loose-fill asbestos insulation product was Zonolite, which was installed in millions of homes throughout the United States. At least 30 million homes still contain this hazardous product to this day.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Australia also had its fair share of problematic insulation materials. Asbestosfluf attic insulation, with the more common name of Mr. Fluffy, was installed in properties across Australia. A removal program was carried out in the 1980s, but many homes were so contaminated that it was more cost-effective to demolish them.
It might also not be out of the question for the following insulating products to contain asbestos:
Air conditioning ducts – the exterior and interior acoustic and thermal insulation
Asbestos paper for insulating and fire-resistant laminates
Autoclave/steriliser insulation
Boiler insulation, slabs, and wet mix
Electric heat banks block insulation
Electric light insulation around the fitting
Fire door insulation
Air condition system electic reheat insulation
Pipe insulation (water-mix type, rope braid, and sheet)
Pump insulation
Sprayed insulation for acoustic walls and ceilings, beams and ceiling slabs, and bolts for building wall panels
Stove wall insulation
Valve insulation
Asbestos-Contaminated Insulation
As important as it can be to know what to look for in insulation to see if it contains asbestos, it’s not always the insulation that’s the problem. Sometimes, insulation can be contaminated with asbestos from other asbestos-containing materials in the general vicinity.
For example, super six and super eight roofing was commonly used before 1990 as a roofing material and contained asbestos. Over the years and without adequate care, tiny asbestos fibres can end up falling onto ceiling insulation. That’s part of the reason why insulation companies must have an Asbestos Management Plan in place.
What Does Asbestos Insulation Look Like?
What asbestos insulation looks like can depend on where you live and your type of insulation. As previously mentioned, our homes are less likely to have asbestos insulation than our Aussie neighbours, but there’s no harm in learning what it looks like as a precautionary measure.
Loose-fill insulation can be fluffy with grey, blue, or white colouring. It’s in a loose form, which means it doesn’t look like your regular wool and fibreglass batt products we have today.
Test for Asbestos
The best way to tell if your insulation has asbestos or is perhaps contaminated by asbestos is by testing for it. Your chosen asbestos testing company can take a small sample of your insulation and perhaps even your roofing materials to determine whether it’s asbestos or not.
Once you have this information, you can make a plan for how to approach your new-found issue. Typically, homeowners have three options for approaching asbestos contamination: remove it, encapsulate it, or leave it as it is if it’s in good condition.
Your unique situation, your desire for renovations, and your budget can all determine which plan of action you take.
Should I Be Worried About Asbestos Insulation?
Asbestos is a hazardous substance, so it’s only natural to be worried if you suspect this material in your home. After all, asbestos can cause life-threatening illnesses, such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, and various cancers.
If you’re concerned about asbestos insulation in your home, contact an asbestos expert to learn more. They might be able to alleviate your concerns with a negative test or provide you with management options if you receive a positive test.
Learn More About Asbestos Testing and Removal Today
Whether you suspect asbestos insulation or are worried about other asbestos-containing materials in your home, you don’t have to manage the situation on your own. Talk to asbestos experts like Chemcare for advice on what to do next. Our expert team can provide testing, removal services, and general advice for your peace of mind.