Asbestos and vermiculite: questions and answers
Direct answers about asbestos and vermiculite. Legal points refer to Ontario Regulation 278/05 and are summaries, not legal advice.
Call 24/7: (416) 938-455234 questions people search for, each answered in a few sentences. Where there is more to say, the answer links to the full guide.
What is asbestos removal or abatement?
Abatement means dealing with asbestos-containing material so that it no longer poses a risk: by removing it, enclosing it or sealing it. Removal is one kind of abatement.
What is the difference between asbestos removal and encapsulation?
Removal takes the material out for good. Encapsulation seals it in place with a coating or cover. Encapsulation is less disruptive but the asbestos remains and must be recorded for future work.
Does asbestos abatement work?
Yes, when done under proper containment. The material is removed wet, the area is HEPA vacuumed and wiped, and for higher-risk work air testing confirms the area is clear before the enclosure comes down.
How long does asbestos abatement take?
A small Type 1 or Type 2 job is often done in a day. Type 3 work, such as an attic of vermiculite or a full textured ceiling, commonly takes several days, plus time beforehand for testing and notification.
How does asbestos testing work?
Small samples of suspect materials are taken with precautions to limit dust and sent to an accredited laboratory, which identifies asbestos fibres under a microscope and reports the type and percentage.
How long does asbestos testing take?
Sampling a house usually takes an hour or two. Laboratory results commonly come back in a few days, and faster for a rush fee.
What are PLM and TEM asbestos testing?
Two laboratory methods. Polarized light microscopy (PLM) is the standard method for bulk building materials. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is more sensitive and is used for very fine fibres, some floor tiles and air samples.
What is asbestos air testing?
Sampling the air to count fibres. After Type 3 removal work indoors, clearance air testing is required in Ontario before the enclosure is taken down. It is best done by a consultant independent of the removal contractor.
Is asbestos testing accurate?
Laboratory analysis by an accredited lab is reliable for the sample submitted. The weak point is sampling: too few samples, or missing a layer, can give a false all-clear. That is why several samples per material are taken.
Are home asbestos testing kits reliable? Can I test for asbestos myself?
A kit is only a way of posting a sample to a lab. The analysis can be sound, but taking the sample disturbs the material, and a single sample may not represent the whole. Having trained people sample is safer and more reliable.
When is asbestos testing needed or required?
Before renovation or demolition that will disturb materials installed before about 1990. In Ontario, owners of most buildings must have asbestos identified before such work. An owner-occupied home is exempt, but contractors must still protect their workers.
How long is an asbestos report or survey valid?
A report describes what was sampled on that date. It stays useful until materials are changed or removed, but it covers only the areas surveyed. A new renovation in a different part of the building needs its own sampling.
Does asbestos testing get reported to anyone?
A test on your own home is your private information. In Ontario, contractors must notify the Ministry of Labour before certain removal operations. Sellers should not conceal known hazards, so ask a lawyer about disclosure if you sell.
What asbestos removal has to be notified in Ontario?
Under Regulation 278/05, the Ministry of Labour must be notified before Type 3 operations, and before glove bag removal of one square metre or more of insulation. The contractor gives the notice.
Who is responsible for asbestos?
The building owner. In Ontario, owners of workplaces and multi-unit buildings must keep a record of asbestos-containing materials and tell contractors. Employers and contractors are responsible for protecting their workers.
What qualifications are needed to remove asbestos in Ontario?
Workers and supervisors on Type 3 operations must have completed the provincially approved asbestos abatement training programs. All asbestos work by contractors must follow Regulation 278/05.
What mask, respirator, gloves and protective equipment are used for asbestos removal?
It depends on the type of operation. Higher-risk work requires NIOSH-approved respirators matched to the fibre levels, disposable coveralls with hoods, gloves and boot covers, with decontamination on leaving the work area. A dust mask is not adequate.
How is asbestos properly removed?
The area is isolated, ventilation is shut off, the material is kept wet and removed in the largest pieces possible, waste is sealed and labelled, and surfaces are HEPA vacuumed and wiped. Higher-risk work is done in a negative-pressure enclosure.
Is asbestos removal expensive, and is it ever free?
It is priced by the material, quantity, access and type of operation, and friable material costs most. It is not free. Where an insured loss damages asbestos material, safe handling is commonly part of the claim.
Does removing asbestos increase home value?
It removes an objection that many buyers and their inspectors raise, particularly vermiculite and damaged pipe insulation, and makes renovation simpler. Whether it adds more than it costs depends on the market. Keep the paperwork.
Is asbestos removal a capital improvement or tax deductible?
For your own home it is generally a personal expense. For rental or business property, the tax treatment depends on whether it is a repair or an improvement. Ask an accountant.
What is the difference between black mold and asbestos?
Mold is a living growth caused by moisture, often visible and musty. Asbestos is a mineral fibre built into older materials, invisible and odourless, and a hazard only when disturbed. A water-damaged older house can have both.
What should I do if I have been around asbestos? Can I be tested?
A single brief exposure carries a very low risk. Disease is linked mainly to heavy or repeated exposure over time. There is no routine test that shows past exposure, so tell your doctor, who can advise and record it.
What is vermiculite insulation made of?
Vermiculite is a natural mineral that expands into light, pebble-like granules when heated. Health Canada notes that ore from the Libby mine in Montana, sold in Canada as Zonolite, may contain asbestos.
How do I identify vermiculite insulation?
Loose, lightweight granules, grey-brown to silvery-gold, with a shiny layered surface, poured between attic joists. It looks like small pebbles, not like fluffy fibreglass or grey shredded cellulose.
Is vermiculite insulation bad? Why is it a red flag?
Because much of it may contain asbestos. Health Canada says there is no evidence of risk if it stays sealed in the attic and undisturbed, but it must not be disturbed, and it complicates renovations, insurance and resale.
How common is vermiculite insulation?
It was widely installed in Canadian attics, mainly from the 1940s into the 1980s, including under government retrofit programs. It is a frequent finding in older Ontario homes.
Is vermiculite insulation friable?
Yes. It is loose and releases dust and fibres easily when moved, which is why removal is treated as high-risk work with a full enclosure.
Can I cover or encapsulate vermiculite insulation?
It should not be disturbed, and adding insulation over it means working in it. Health Canada advises sealing openings into the attic and keeping out. Removal by a qualified contractor is the usual course before attic work.
Can I still buy vermiculite insulation?
Health Canada states that insulation made from Libby mine ore has not been sold in Canada for many years. Vermiculite from other sources is still sold, mainly for gardening.
Does vermiculite insulation burn or absorb water?
It is a mineral and does not burn, which is one reason it was used. It absorbs and holds water, so a roof leak leaves it wet for a long time.
How long does vermiculite insulation last?
Indefinitely. It is a mineral and does not rot or settle much. Age does not make it safer or more dangerous. The concern is whether it contains asbestos and whether it will be disturbed.
How long does vermiculite removal take? Who removes it?
An asbestos abatement contractor removes it under Type 3 precautions, typically over two to four days for a house attic, including set-up, removal, cleaning and clearance air testing.
How does vermiculite compare with cellulose, perlite or mineral wool?
Cellulose is grey shredded paper, perlite is a white volcanic glass used mainly in gardening, and mineral wool is a fibrous batt or loose fill. None of these carries the asbestos concern that older vermiculite does.
Need this dealt with? See asbestos removal.
Damage does not wait for business hours. Neither do we.
Call any time. If you would prefer we call you, request a callback.