I do not know how to positively identify asbestos insulation, but I would suggest that you hire an expert. This is one area where you do not want to be penny wise and pound foolish. Do not disturb any of the insulation that you think might have asbestos in it. It can be harmful if pieces of it (even small ones you can't see) become airborne. Be very careful, please.

 

It would only be a rough guess but my guess is that it is rock wool. The paper backing doesn't say?

 

You will have to decide for yourself, of course, but I would tend to think the paper-backed insulation that you describe is rock wool, manufactured from about 1930--1970. Rock wool was made from steel mill slag, heated in a refractory, and blown out under steam and air presure over a spinning steel wheel. Since a lot of the slag had a high iron content, it may have become brown from moisture creating rust on the fibers. Is there a name on the paper? It should be National Gypsum, Johns-Manville, or Gold bond. I worked in a National Gypsum rock wool plant thru college. Itchy stuff......

Here is a site that may help you: http://www.inspectapedia.com/interiors/Rock_Wool_Insulation.htm

It also has several links for asbestos.

geo

 

I took a sample of our popcorn ceiling to a local lab and it tested positive for asbestos. Maybe you could find a lab in your area that has a similar service?

 

Sounds like rock wool. I spent several years in the asbestos abatement industry and I never saw any asbestos like you have described, and have seen hundreds of different types.

In residential applications I have seen it in boiler pipe insulation, floor tile, siding, and spray on ceilings, and vermiculite. I have never seen it like you described.

 

You could have it tested but I would just seal it in place and forget about it.

 

how about a picture as has been stated it sounds like rock wool
Steve

 

There is no way that anyone can identify asbestos via the naked eye. Simply not possible. There are to many different types of asbestos, with different characteristics. Find a lab that does this kind of work, and have a sample tested. But before you take the sample, ask the lab about safe methods of acquiring the sample. Ideally, you should have someone qualified to take the sample.

Asbestos is nothing to play games with. One word: Mesothelioma - a form of lung cancer.

Do not assume that it is rock wool. First, you don't know when it was installed, and second, rock wool and certain forms of asbestos look very similar.

Were it me, I would leave it alone, and assume it is asbestos. There are products that you can spray over it to encapsulate it....on one side. If it's ever disturbed from the bottom, the encapsulation is ineffective.

Good Luck

b

 

i would go with the Tand G rob, would look great!! there was a guy up near sturgeon had a mill that would turn out nice product!! as to the insulation, can ask a bud that works in e testing substances, it was used mainly where fire or heat was an issue! heading your way soon i think!

 

You can buy a kit at Ace Hardware for $11 + $30 lab fee. You send off a sample of the material and they tell you if it is asbestos.

 

Test to reassure yourself, but it's doubtful that it will turn out to be anything but rockwool. As others have stated it can be tricky to identify. I was on a commercial renovation a while back and it was loaded with asbestos. We were removing older wiring from a conduit we wanted to reuse, and I when entered the room where two older, well educated electricians were pulling it out, they were covered is white fuzz from the skinned, fabric coated wire. The air was white with fiber and it looked like they had created a serious disaster. Fifty year old wire in a building with a bad history of extreme asbestos contamination, and a room that now looked like somebody had tossed a grenade in a pile of feather pillows, not good. We immediately called for a professional evaluation. An environmental scientist from the building's owner arrived, and was gravely concerned. The area was sealed, and he didn't expect good news. A quick net search seem to indicate that the wire brand and part number suggested that it was asbestos free. There were still serious doubts as all visible indications pointed toward a major contamination issue. The electrical contractor and the building owner sent air and fiber samples to two different labs. A few days later the results indicated that the insulation was old fabric wrapped fiberglass. Odd, and an outcome that nobody expected, but like others have said here. It's tough to determine without proper testing. good luck.

 

Seal it and forget it. As long as it's not in the air (pulling it down) fibers don't get in the air. We had it in our hundred year old house around pipes in the basement. It's really no big deal as long as it's sealed.

 

I planned to seal it in anyway. I work in a gavenment building full of aspestos. I will be talking to the maintanence guys this week.
Our plan here is simply to install vapour barrier, which our house does not have. We are trying to seal the house from drafts.
I will look for someone that can identify the instulation. There is no markings on the paper that I can see.
Ford Major; do you know the name of the place in Sturgeon Falls that sells vongue and groove?

 

We finished our walls with OSB board and painted it. It looks like a straw wall. Found out that if you lay it on its side and use a chair rail over the seam it is a lot easier to work with. Most old homes are not square or level. Good luck with it. Sam

 

You can Google it and get photos. We're getting my MIL's house ready to sell and wanted to find out what was in her attic. The photos were a great help - it is rock wool.
She was convinced it was asbestos. I'm sorry that I don't still have the links. The main thing with anything asbestos is don't disturb it.

 

Ford Major; do you know the name of the place in Sturgeon Falls that sells vongue and groove?

i'll get you the name Rob, right now my buds in New Brunswick so will be heading up when he is back!