Vermiculite has continued to grow as an asbestos issue.  There is still much debate about what a homeowner should or should not do. 

Before reading our recomendations of vermiculite you can visit our "Common Questions Page" for more general information about asbestos.  Below are some pictures of vermiculite from the US EPA web site.

So now that you know what it is; this is our professional opinion:

To sample or not to sample?  We say "don't sample".  Why?  Well there are some fancy ways to sample vermiculite and fancy reports to tell you that you may have less than 1% asbestos content and that is nice but it is also like being a little pregnant. 

If you have asbestos in your vermiculite at any percentage then you have asbestos.  There is no safe level of asbestos in a material; there are only safe standards for how many fibers there can be in air. 

So for example, if you had less than 1% asbestos content in the vermiculite and say your friend uses a leaf blower in your attic to dust, this would create a major exposure.  Ok, so that example is a little extreme but if you disturb the material you can make it airborne.  Now you may feel better because it was less than 1% but that doesn't guarantee the fibers will not get into the air.  So to us the only safe bet is to assume it positive for asbestos and treat it accordingly.

To remove or not to remove?  We say that depends on what you are doing now and what you plan in the future.  If you have vermiculite in the attic and you do not use it for storage and you do not go up there, then leave it alone.  Chances are unlikely that you will have an exposure above the permissible exposure limit, PEL.  But if you try to sell that home, the home inspector may find it and you may have to deal with it.  It has been our experience that any environmental issue can kill a real estate deal or at least complicate the process.  What if you plan on renovating the space and that may include disturbing the material; at that point you need to abate the hazard prior to construction.

What if you store stuff but do not go up there that often?  This may be the million dollar question, because we cannot answer this one; you have to decide what your own personal level of concern is with respect to asbestos exposure.  We cannot say how much asbestos is ok to breathe.  OSHA was kind enough to set the PEL at 0.1 fibers per cubic centimeter but even that is set for an 8-hour work day.          

How much does this cost?  Difficult question unless we can see your attic, access, and how much personal belongings are stored up there.  We can say that on the low end we have charged $3,000.00 and on the high end $6,000.00.  That is a big variance to swallow.  Email us some pictures, rough dimensions, and a picture of the access or description (for example do you have fold down stairs, access from the garage, or is it going to take a circus act to get up there).  You can upload that information to our to our Contacts Page.  We will give you a ball park estimate and then if you are still interested we can talk about the next step which would be a site visit and formal written proposal.  

Good luck with your project and if you want some help call Rick at 330.818.0188.