Vermiculite Insulation Removal
At Green Attic in Chicago, we understand that removing vermiculite insulation is a critical step in protecting your home from potential asbestos exposure and improving indoor air quality.
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What Is The Problem?
The majority of the vermiculite used worldwide was from a mine in Libby, Montana, owned and operated since 1963 by W.R. Grace. The mine was closed in 1990. As well as being rich in vermiculite, this mine had the misfortune of having a deposit of tremolite, a type of asbestos.
When the vermiculite was extracted, some tremolite came in with the mix.For Canadian use, the raw product from the Libby mine was shipped to Grace subsidiary F. Hyde processing plants in Montreal, St. Thomas, Ajax and Toronto, and Grant Industries in western Canada. At these plants, it was processed and sold as Zonolite.
When the vermiculite was extracted, some tremolite came in with the mix.For Canadian use, the raw product from the Libby mine was shipped to Grace subsidiary F. Hyde processing plants in Montreal, St. Thomas, Ajax and Toronto, and Grant Industries in western Canada. At these plants, it was processed and sold as Zonolite.
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According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in the U.S., “Most people who get asbestos-related diseases have been exposed to high levels of asbestos for a long time.”
Lastly, most of the time the air in your house flows from the house into the attic, rather than into the house from the attic.
The bottom line is, like most household products that may contain asbestos, and there are many, doing nothing is often the best approach. Naturally, the risk of exposure increases with the amount of time spent in the attic.
Lastly, most of the time the air in your house flows from the house into the attic, rather than into the house from the attic.
The bottom line is, like most household products that may contain asbestos, and there are many, doing nothing is often the best approach. Naturally, the risk of exposure increases with the amount of time spent in the attic.
What Is The Risk?
Asbestos minerals tend to separate into microscopic particles that become airborne and are easily inhaled. People exposed to asbestos in the workplace have developed several types of life-threatening diseases, including lung cancer.
Workers in and around the Libby mine developed serious health problems.Like any hazards, length and intensity of exposure are major factors in the risk of asbestos-related respiratory illness. To assess the risk of asbestos exposure at a house, a sample of the vermiculite would need to be analyzed by a lab.
Since most of the vermiculite used in Canada was taken from the Libby mine, the odds are quite good that there is asbestos in the vermiculite in Canadian attics.
The good news is that we don’t live in our attics. In addition, as long as it is undisturbed, neither the asbestos fibers bound up in the vermiculite chunks nor the dust will be released into the air.
Workers in and around the Libby mine developed serious health problems.Like any hazards, length and intensity of exposure are major factors in the risk of asbestos-related respiratory illness. To assess the risk of asbestos exposure at a house, a sample of the vermiculite would need to be analyzed by a lab.
Since most of the vermiculite used in Canada was taken from the Libby mine, the odds are quite good that there is asbestos in the vermiculite in Canadian attics.
The good news is that we don’t live in our attics. In addition, as long as it is undisturbed, neither the asbestos fibers bound up in the vermiculite chunks nor the dust will be released into the air.
Recommendations
If the attic or walls of a house contain vermiculite insulation, leave it alone. Avoid disturbing the material. Do not sweep it or vacuum it up. Do not store belongings in the attic.If work is planned that involves these areas, for example installing potlights in a room below the attic, send a sample of the vermiculite to a private lab.
Send several samples, and use a lab specializing in asbestos analysis. If it is found to contain asbestos, or if you just assume it does, precautions should be taken. The safest approach would be to have the insulation in the affected areas removed by a qualified environmental contractor.
For smaller jobs it may be sufficient to isolate work areas with temporary barriers or enclosures to avoid spreading fibers, use disposable protective clothing, and use proper respiratory protection.
An important note – disposable respirators or dust masks are not appropriate for asbestos. Again, it is best to consult a qualified contractor.”
Send several samples, and use a lab specializing in asbestos analysis. If it is found to contain asbestos, or if you just assume it does, precautions should be taken. The safest approach would be to have the insulation in the affected areas removed by a qualified environmental contractor.
For smaller jobs it may be sufficient to isolate work areas with temporary barriers or enclosures to avoid spreading fibers, use disposable protective clothing, and use proper respiratory protection.
An important note – disposable respirators or dust masks are not appropriate for asbestos. Again, it is best to consult a qualified contractor.”
What Is The ZAI (Zero Artificial Intelligence) Trust?
W.R. Grace’s plan of reorganization became final on February 3, 2014. Consequently, W.R. Grace has now funded the Zonolite Attic Insulation Trust from which eligible Claimants will be reimbursed for their legitimate ZAI Property Damage Claims (“ZAI PD”).
Under the settlement, Grace will fund an Independent Trust and Claims Facility (“the Trust”) that will operate for a minimum of 20 years paying claims and educating the public about the potential health effects associated with asbestos containing vermiculite/ZAI.
The Zonolite Attic Insulation Trust (ZAI Trust) was created to help educate the public about the possible health effects of asbestos-containing vermiculite and to provide partial reimbursement for ZAI removal to qualified claimants.
In order to be eligible for reimbursement a claimant must be able to show:
• That vermiculite is the Zonolite Brand. This is called the Product Identification (PID) requirement.
• And how much was paid to have the vermiculite removed or contained. This is called the Expense Requirement.
Under the settlement, Grace will fund an Independent Trust and Claims Facility (“the Trust”) that will operate for a minimum of 20 years paying claims and educating the public about the potential health effects associated with asbestos containing vermiculite/ZAI.
The Zonolite Attic Insulation Trust (ZAI Trust) was created to help educate the public about the possible health effects of asbestos-containing vermiculite and to provide partial reimbursement for ZAI removal to qualified claimants.
In order to be eligible for reimbursement a claimant must be able to show:
• That vermiculite is the Zonolite Brand. This is called the Product Identification (PID) requirement.
• And how much was paid to have the vermiculite removed or contained. This is called the Expense Requirement.
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Green Attic Insulation Customer Reviews
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8 days ago
Romuno and his team came on time and were very cordial and friendly. They discovered
an issue with some electrical work while working on the insulation, which I was surprised and happy about, and were able to rectify the situation easily and at a great value, considering the timing of the project, etc. Romuno made it clear he want to ensure my satisfaction throughout the process. When finished, the job site was cleaned very well.
I highly recommend this company and all its team members and hope to do more projects in the future with them!
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8 days ago
Romulo and his teammate were so fast and clean at insulating and repairing our damaged
ceiling due to a roof leak. Again it was easy to engage green Attic as a return customer because I felt well treated with their work when they first insulated and managed.to transform our cold home. Great job!
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22 days ago
Fantastic work. No nonsense, clean job site, speedy and good communication.
an issue with some electrical work while working on the insulation, which I was surprised and happy about, and were able to rectify the situation easily and at a great value, considering the timing of the project, etc. Romuno made it clear he want to ensure my satisfaction throughout the process. When finished, the job site was cleaned very well.
I highly recommend this company and all its team members and hope to do more projects in the future with them!
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1 month ago
Had our attic insulation beefed up with new blown in cellulose. Was a major improvement
immediatly after it was installed. Cut our heating needs by 3x to maintain temperature in the house.Team working on my house was friendly and professional. Team leads Romulo and Omar did a great job making sure everything was done right and everything was cleaned up after.
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2 months ago
Romulo & Alvaro did a great job installing everything. Cindy, Frank and the Green Attic team
were extremely attentive. I love how easy they made the process, everything is online even the rebates.
BONUS: I originally reached out to them to check for mold free of charge.
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2 months ago
These guys did a great job! Great price, quality service, and they offer several payment
options and plans. I thought we bought a lemon of a house and the insulation and sealing job they did fixed all of our issues and were so thrilled! Highly recommend these guys. Plus they are local so it’s great supporting a chicago based company.
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3 months ago
Highly recommend Green Attic. Scheduled to have my attic re-insulated and Romulo
and his crew did a fabulous job. The attic was in pretty bad shape prior to the work getting done and green attic made it look so good. The crew worked efficiently and got the job done in 2 days. I also asked Romulo to install a couple other things on my roof outside of the scheduled project and he very kindly and willingly did so without hesitation. Very pleased with how everything turned out. Thank you so much for a job well done! Before and after pics below.
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