Attic insulation

This is from a 1958 home. Asbestos possibilty?

Fox Tr. 001copy.jpg

Looks like loose fill cellulose…not a problem.

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

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

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

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

http://www.naima.org/pages/resources/library/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

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

My take as well.

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:

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

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.

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. :slight_smile:

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 :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

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

sorry guys.
i was making the touching remarks about either rock wool or cellulose.
not making any assumptions about asbestos
really gotta watch how i post things :slight_smile:

As I said in my earlier post squeeze rock wool and you can feel it sort of like squeek
Roy Cooke sr

…Roy, I just tried to translate your post to Texan…did I get it right? :smiley:

WOW ! .Did I really say that, Please do not tell my wife .
I am in enough trouble now , I will never be able to talk my way out of this now.I just better be quiet getting in deeper and deeper.
Roy now afraid to sign my full name

I feel like Joe **Btfsplk ** does any one remember him…Remember the scmoo

Hmmmmmmmmmm.
I don’t see any post using “Zonilite” or “Zolilite.”

However, W.R. Grace seems to say that their product is “Zolonite,” as do lots of other web sites:

http://aolsearch.aol.com/aol/search?encquery=0fe556bc2bd24f1f&invocationType=keyword_rollover&ie=UTF-8

Zolonite is what I’ve always know it as. I used to play in it when I was much younger. I thought it was pretty cool stuff. I’m still here, too, although some would say that I’m a little crazy, but I blame that on Ms Margarita and Dr Cuervo. :margarit: