Vermiculite: How it can affect health and resale of your home
Vermiculite is a mica-like mineral mined around the world and used in a variety of products including insulation. Vermiculite mined from the Libby Mine in Montana between 1920 and 1990 is known to contain asbestos, which can cause asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma in people who are exposed to airborne particles.
Vermiculite was one of a number of loose fill insulation products approved for installation under the Canadian Home Insulation Program (CHIP) that provided grants to home owners who improved energy efficiency in their property between 1977 and 1984. Health Canada believes that vermiculite was installed in approximately 250,000 Canadian homes during that time. There is no information available as to where vermiculite use was most common but I can tell you that I have run across Saskatoon homes containing vermiculite insulation a number of times during my sixteen-year real estate career.
Health Canada’s position is this; “If vermiculite-based insulation is contained and not exposed to the home or interior environment, it poses very little risk.” Perhaps this provides some comfort to homeowners who have vermiculite insulation in their home, but in my own experience, the presence of asbestos is a growing concern for home buyers. Asbestos which is contained and undisturbed may never cause you or others in your home health problems but there is some significant likelihood that it could cause problems in completing a home sale when you’re ready to move. Some home buyers may be totally disinterested in purchasing a home that contains such a potentially toxic substance insisting that it be remediated as a condition of the sale, or they may walk away from the deal all together once they know.
It’s important to note that not all vermiculite insulation contains asbestos. If you suspect that you may have vermiculite insulation in your home you should avoid disturbing it. Contact a qualified expert for assistance in obtaining a sample for testing. In Saskatoon, Pillar to Post Home Inspections is qualified to gather samples and they can submit them to a lab on your behalf for testing. Testing costs can vary from one day to the next, but generally, a range of $150-$200 is what you should expect to pay for the service.
If vermiculite is present in your home and it does not contain asbestos, a lab report will be helpful in eliminating the concern that potential buyers for your home may have when you’re ready to sell. If it does contain asbestos, you can decide to remediate now, begin saving for an eventual remediation, or you can choose to leave it and deal with it at the time of sale. Remember though, leaving it until that late stage almost certainly raises significant concerns for your prospective buyer and could derail your sale.
One should probably consider that knowing your home contains asbestos might require you to disclose its presence when you offer the home for sale. The Property Condition Disclosure Statement (PCDS), which is not mandatory for home sellers, but is commonly used in Saskatchewan, has the following question. “To the best of your knowledge does the dwelling contain asbestos or urea formaldehyde insulation?” If you know asbestos exists, you are legally required to answer this question in the affirmative, if you choose to utilize the form. Home buyers are often suspicious of sellers who refuse to complete a PCDS. Even if you choose not to use the form a buyer could argue that disclosure is required based on the potential health implications of asbestos. In any case, professional home inspections are so common that it’s doubtful that vermiculite in your home could escape scrutiny when selling.
Health Canada has some good information online about vermiculite and asbestos including precautionary steps you can take to avoid contaminating your living space if vermiculite containing asbestos is present in your home. Check it out here.
Related posts: Asbestos in the home.
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Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate
There's 14 Comments So Far
November 13th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
Vermiculite is a great way to knock some money off a house’s ask price. Sellers who know very little about the insulation do give the discount. It’s a bit of a scam considering you have to breathe, work and live (and I mean like to be covered in asbestos dust) to get cancer. Remediation is ridiculusly expensive for the not so professional contractors that do it. I have talked an industrial work site inspector that say the concern about vermiculite in a house is a joke.
November 13th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
Steven,
It’s been a huge joke for W.R. Grace, the company that mined asbestos laden vermiculite in Libby. At the time they filed for bankruptcy protection back in 2001 they faced nearly 130,000 personal injury lawsuits from people who appeared to be less than amused. In recent years the company agreed to a $1.8B to $3B class action settlement related to claims for “diminution of property value, cost of abatement or removal and other economic losses associated with the product.” That doesn’t include the cost of the personal injury lawsuits.
November 13th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
Norm, this class action lawsuit appears to be limited to the US. Was there any recourse through the Canadian Home Insulation Program (CHIP) for having approved Vermiculite for use in Canadian homes, or did the homeowners essentially take the hit? Semi-related, have you come across any instances of “Chinese drywall” here in Saskatoon?
November 13th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
Jason,
Canadians were definitely eligible for some compensation through this settlement. We helped a couple purchase a home this summer who had applied for funding for removal of vermiculite in their previous home (Winnipeg).
I have not encountered, or even heard of a “Chinese drywall” incident here. Have you?
November 14th, 2009 at 1:03 am
I have not. I believe it’s more prevalent in the southeastern USA, although I have read about a few cases in BC.
November 15th, 2009 at 9:46 pm
W.R. Grace is one big bad apple that made all vermiculite evil. Thing is not all vermiculite came from Libby Montana. Thats the the scam. There is vermiculite that doesn’t contain asbestos. However all vermiculite is guilty until its proven innocent.
If people need peace of mind, get it tested. Get proof that it is that bad ass Libby Montana stuff before considering remediated.
As for me, I against remediation. I’ve done the research, I’ve talked to people in the know that say the contractors don’t really do it right and still leave stuff behind. “Safest thing to do it is not to disturb it or to enclose it”.
Note: My quote is from a non-government workplace environmental assessment inspector. Safety resporator for Zonolite can be bought from Acklands. Namebrand: North, 7700 Series, N95 filter (purple)
November 15th, 2009 at 9:52 pm
I’m with Steven on this one. From my research, the people getting cancer are mostly contractors who have worked with the stuff for years. If you have a little bit in the attic, I don’t see how that will cause a problem.
I also think that in 20 or 30 years we will look somewhat silly and hypocritical worrying about asbestos while we blast our bodies with cell-phone radiation and wi-fi and absorb toxins from plastics.
November 15th, 2009 at 10:11 pm
Steven,
“If people need peace of mind, get it tested. Get proof that it is that bad ass Libby Montana stuff before considering remediated.”
I agree completely and that’s pretty much what I suggested above.
Peter,
I’m sure I’m reading too much into the $2B settlement and the 130,000 personal injury lawsuits? You’re probably right that it’s not worth worrying about.
Bottom line? I expect Health Canada’s recommendations are probably valid. Just the same, there’s not much question in my mind that the presence of asbestos stigmatizes a property. Given the choice between two similar properties, one with asbestos and one without, I suspect most purchasers would select the one that doesn’t have it. Over the past few years I’ve seen a handful of deals go sideways because of it.
November 20th, 2009 at 2:23 am
To my knowledge “Chinese Drywall” passed through the port as many things do but, to my knowledge was not used in the province. As to the vermiculite, a lot of people in this town will walk from the purchase when or if discovered. Undisturbed it remains idol. For many “unaware” home renovators, the problem occurs when they tear down the ceiling. The tiny particles get into every orifice of your body. Eyes, ears nose throat are the obvious. It is nasty stuff! Will you die? Possibly, if you are not hit buy a bus first. Most likely you can be sure you will cough for a long time. If you are rewiring there are electricians who recognize it and will not crawl into the attic. They simply refuse to do the work. Like Sarah Palin, some go Rogue and will do it for a price.
August 15th, 2010 at 8:29 pm
Hi,
I went through the process and put my claim in on time and have not heard anything. My concern is that we will probably want to sell in the next few years and do not want to run into any problems. Do you know what Canadians were entitled to and if there is any government aid for removal? We are in Ontario. Thanks! With the new proof of cause of MS I am no longer concerned that this had anything to do with my son’s ms – his upstairs bedroom always had vermiculite coming out of the ceiling. It is also getting out of the attic somehow since our yard is full of it! We have not attempted removal as advised.
jc
August 16th, 2010 at 6:53 am
Joan,
I’m afraid I don’t know much more than I’ve shared here and the previously written article, linked above. I would try W.R. Grace for the answers you’re looking for.
That said, your circumstances sound a bit scary to me. It’s getting out into your child’s room and in the yard? That sounds dangerous. Have you had the vermiculite tested? Have you considered proceeding with a remediation to remove this potential health threat? Please consider talking to someone who knows about this stuff and how to handle it. I’ve heard it costs about $5 per square foot of attic space.
Best wishes.
August 20th, 2010 at 7:56 pm
i am in the process of buying a home which has vermiculite with asbestos proved by test results.
in the near future i plan to get this stuff professionally removed. when the time comes to sell the home, do i still have to reveal that at some point of time it did contain this stuff.
August 20th, 2010 at 8:10 pm
Parvez,
Ask the lawyer who handles this transaction for you. She/he will probably advise you for nothing.
I doubt you’d be obliged to bring such a thing forward. The law requires you to disclose material, latent defects, which exist and that you’re aware of. That would be an existing problem, which you know exists, not readily discoverable by a reasonably prudent inspection, which could pose a health risk or danger.
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