Home inspectors know that, often, vermiculite attic insulation contains at least some asbestos fibers. Vermiculite and asbestos are different but, due to the proximity of the mines in Libby, Montana, some asbestos got into vermiculite back in those days when vermiculite was so popular. The general safety guideline is that vermiculite may be left in place in an attic -- some people prefer to have it removed -- but it should not be disturbed. A few times I have run into situations where that is easier said than done. Below we have an older home and they have a storage area, small closet, under the eaves. The open "floor" of that closet, which you just know people will be putting Christmas ornaments and boxes in, has vermiculite attic insulation. In that kind of situation, the buyers have to figure out what they want to do. Sure, they can test the vermiculite for asbestos but, last I heard, the guideline is that whether it tests positive or not, you should still consider some asbestos might be present in trace amounts that were not detected in the samples provided. These one time miracle products that end up being a pain years later are just that -- a pain to deal with down the road. Steven L. Smith Bellingham WA Home Inspections 
Vermiculite In The Closet
9 comments • Steven L. Smith, Bellingham, Wa. Home Inspector • August 29 2009 11:16AMComments
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Wow! I did not know that. Thank you very much for that information. I'll share it with my clients.
Steven, I shudder to think that when some of us were kids, we played in all kinds of products that are now known to be dangerous.
When we were kids we used to have fun taking the little acccordians of vermiculite and pinch them back flat so they looked like Mica again:)
Yeah,
Remember how fun mercury was to play with...the way it oozed and yet it stuck together.
Reason to "break" the thermometer in spite of severe parental warnings. mercury bounces.
I don't know what vermiculite is. But once my youngest mortgage borrower at 18 yrs old used blow-in insulation and whoosh out came the bathroom wall into the living room. He had me rolling on the floor laughing during his application describing the mess he had to clean up. I think that blow-in stuff was a miracle product too.
I see vermiculite periodically. As a kid, I found mercury in my yard, down about 12", and kept it in a jar. I remember playing with it on the living room carpet, seeing how far I could make it splatter with my finger!
Good information Steven. Clients need to be made aware so they are not using the attic space for storage. When I see it I also note the limited attic inspection as I don't want to go walking/crawling an attic with vermiculite.
As I understand it not all vermiculite comes from Libby. Out your way it sure would likely be from Montana, out here not so much. None the less when it's present it still requires a warning to the clients.
James,
I think that even some of it from Libby did not have the contamination. Last I heard however, unless you know it is from another source, we are suppossed to assume there is asbestos EVEN if a lab test might show otherwise.