Asbestos Fiberglass Insulation
Do I have asbestos insulation?
i live in a condo complex that was built in 1974 in california. there is sheet insulation in the walls. what are the chances this is asbestos versus fiberglass. the clean air act of 1970 addresses the issue, however, the EPA as i understand it never stated it was a hazardous product.?????
Asbestos was still being used quite a bit in the 70s for a variety of building materials (many of which you’d never guess). Typically though, the insulation that contains asbestos was called vermiculite and was sold under the brand name Zonolite. It looks like somewhat fluffy grey chunks. If you have sheet insulation it is likely not asbestos containing.
If you’re concerned about it, you can get a local industrial hygiene company to come and test the material. You should be able to find something in the yellow pages under Asbestos Abatement or Asbestos Testing (if you live in a good sized town).
Typically asbestos isn’t a danger as long as it isn’t in a dust/airborne form. Most old buildings have asbestos in the drywall mud, window glazing, vinyl floor tile, etc. As long as they stay intact and don’t become airborne particles there isn’t much danger.
Good Luck
Tags: acoustics, duct, fiberglass, insulation, lead