Vermiculite Insulation Removal

Vermiculite is a loose-fill insulation found in some older attics and wall cavities. Health Canada says vermiculite-based insulation may contain asbestos, and the federal vermiculite page says some brands may contain tremolite asbestos. The same page says there is currently no evidence of risk to your health if the insulation is sealed behind wallboards and floorboards, isolated in an attic, or otherwise kept from the interior environment.

If you have it, Health Canada's advice is specific: don't use the attic for storage, keep children out of the attic, don't disturb it or attempt to remove it yourself, seal gaps around the attic hatch, light fixtures, outlets and baseboards, and hire professionals trained to handle asbestos if you plan to renovate. A lab test tells you what your vermiculite contains.

How Ontario classifies the job (Type 2 or Type 3 under O. Reg. 278/05) depends on the amount of friable material and how it is removed, and that is decided on site; ask each contractor which Type they are quoting and what that Type requires of them. Asbestos waste can only leave your property for a disposal site that has agreed to accept it and has been told when it will arrive (Ontario Reg. 347, s.17). Published Ontario and national prices for an attic run about $5,000 to $25,000.