Thread: Attic Insulation Identification

Can anyone help me identify this type of insulation? I had an inspection on a home I'm potentially buying, and this is what we found in the attic (1917 home in Colorado). I could break off parts in chunks. The home inspector said it could contain asbestos or be urea formaldehyde, but he also said he had never seen it before. It was more of a flatter, pressed type than a fluffy kind of insulation. Thanks in advance!

Similar Threads:

• Insulation
• Electrical cable insulation cover
• Short Attic Ladder
• Insulation type
• Protection of wiring in the attic

Hi Nick,

Although your pictures are not very clear, it looks like sawdust. Is it possible there is a vent directly above and the person who installed it did not remove the sawdust?

Zane

Hi Zane, thanks for the reply. There is some sawdust up there as well, but the stuff we are trying to identify is the grey stuff (sorry for not specifying that in my first post). The grey stuff is less than half an inch thick and looks almost pressed on (not fluffy at all, and doesn't look like foam). If you take a sample, there is sawdust on the bottom, and a gray harder material on top that can still crumble easily.

I should have some better pictures of a piece of it tonight, but please comment in the meantime if that description helps identify it. The inspector said he had never seen it before, and he's been inspecting for a while. I think he said it may contain asbestos or urea formeldihyde to be on the safe side, so I'm trying to determine if it could be either of those without having it tested (which I know would solve the mystery).

Hi Nick,

My guess is that it is cellulose that has been damaged by water. It gets kind of hard and crusty. Otherwise, it's nice and fluffy (see pics)

Vermiculate (which can contain asbestos looks like this, see pic)

As for formaldehyde, it comes from (UFFI) is in a spray foam insulation. It looks similar to polyurethane with a yellowish tinge to it.

Good luck

Thanks Zane. I finally have some pictures of a piece of it. The inspector referred to it as a some sort of plaster cap insulation on sawdust. In the pictures, the grey part is what is facing upward, and the side with sawdust bits faces down. Any additional thoughts with the better pictures!

It looks like damaged cellulose. But I am not 100%

I'm curious as to know what other people think

Z