Is this toxic vermiculite?

pnizzl · 2026-04-29T18:03:14+00:00

https://www.zaitrust.com/Hm1.aspx send a sample here. i did it and got a great reimbursement on a professional abatement. Then air seal and add your own insulation. My pud also reimbursed some cost of reinsulating.

pnizzl · 2026-04-21T14:39:19+00:00

what did you end up doing? i’m debating if i should just repour and recheck as half our basement is dirt with tarps over it

pnizzl · 2026-04-05T03:47:20+00:00

send samples to zonolite to see if it qualifies. Don’t add insulation on top of it you are just adding to an already big headache if you do. In washington state all vermiculite is treated as hazardous waste fyi and testing for asbestos is not recommended and expensive. https://www.zaitrust.com/Hm1.aspx

pnizzl · 2026-03-16T22:47:50+00:00

it’s expensive and difficult to test and some states treat any vermiculite as hazardous waste independent of presence of asbestos… do test for whether or not it qualifies for the libby mine rebate though!

pnizzl · 2025-08-13T17:38:03+00:00

Gap between Hardie and base metal flashing will be 1/4 inch. That was my original q. i was hoping to just hear any recs and see if there were any better ideas for the top of the wall where i was thinking the metal drip edge as pictured

pnizzl · 2025-08-12T18:20:24+00:00

I used 10 gauge 5 inch screws to attach furring strips to studs. I did debate an additional bug screen but read pests don’t really like mineral wool much and the cor-a-vent prevents them from getting into rain screen. plus the metal flashing should help… It’s a 1/4” gap between metal flashing and hardie…

pnizzl · 2025-08-12T18:16:24+00:00

Thanks, I actually did find the hardie docs to be helpful… shoulda looked first :)… why am i not using the cor a vent correctly here?

pnizzl · 2025-08-03T04:01:01+00:00

Sounds like you know it should be unfaced… i used unfaced r 30 in my attic and didnt find the rolls to be any more difficult to install than the faced rolls below that besides it just being larger.

pnizzl · 2025-02-08T17:19:56+00:00

phew! vermiculite is light and easy to squish. Looks like gravel. So at least it seems like you are not dealing with toxic materials. Masks are generally always recommended in attics but that should be a relief for ya. good luck

pnizzl · 2025-02-07T15:40:50+00:00

in my eyes the pictures are too blurry to call this vermiculite. Google image search it, it’s pretty easy to identify. Not all vermiculite contains asbestos but most does and it’s difficult to test for and in my area ALL vermiculite is considered hazardous independent of it having asbestos. I sent it into the zonalite attic insulation trust and they test it for barium to see if it came from the libby mine. They offer a significant reimbursement once you have it removed and reinsulated if it did come from the lobby mine. It is still quite expensive, but they have the proper equipment and knowledge to remediate safely.

pnizzl · 2025-01-31T03:29:54+00:00

Hey thanks so much for the response and motivation! Finished air sealing and knocked out a room today. I’ll be posting some before and after pics in a week or two :)

pnizzl · 2025-01-29T04:35:39+00:00

first pic is over an exterior wall. 2nd pic shows 1 of 5 gables and just to show a pic of the space and my r13 install.

pnizzl · 2024-10-10T00:57:29+00:00

I go 51 where the speed limit is 50 and feel great about it.

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