It seem we have much of this insulation here Ontario Canada…
This looks a lot like a common mineral wool batt that was indeed used between 1950-65. It came in a dark charcoal color and the exposed upper surface would darken due to both exposure, and the flitering of particulate matter trapped on the surface porosity.
Not necessarily a venting issue, as I’ve seen much of this MW batting and it has always discolored uniformely.
Asbestos? Doug
Not even close…
Back when home was built if bath exh. vents made it to the attic about 6" over the insulation it was considered the exterior.
Is it mould?
As recently as this last week, I have had the opportunity to come accross this “black insulation”. I find this stuff in a lot of the homes built in the late 60’s or early 70’s ( last house was built in 1973), and have taken several samples to different insulation companys to no avail.
The climate in my area is hot and dry, and unless there is a leak of some sort, we don’t have many mold issues. This black insulation is the same color all the way through the blanket, and does have a paper backing on it. I also would like to know what it is and what the R value is. I have just been referring to it as old fiberglass insulation, and that’s not much of an explanation.
I think I just answered my own question (thanks to Google images, gotta love it…). It was actually “Balsam Wool Insulation Batts”. According to the article it was popular in the 1940’s…
I came across some insulation in a 1942 built home yesterday that had a black covering on it and was less than an inch thick. If anyone recognizes this, could you tell me more about it. It had R11 Owings Corning laid over top of it. When I pulled it up to get a closer look, it broke open a little and looks like it has some sort of insulating material inside of it. I wasn’t sure if it was some sort of sound dampening insulation or perhaps even might contain asbestos. Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Steve
