Vermiculite insulation removal is a job for trained asbestos abatement workers under Ontario rules. We spot the pebbly grey-brown fill, stop work in the attic, arrange a test through a proper lab, coordinate the abatement contractor if the test is positive, and re-insulate after the air clearance.
Every visit we make is fully insured. Vermiculite turns up most often in houses built before 1990, and about two thirds of London homes fall into that group, from Old North to Westmount.
Vermiculite looks like small, light pebbles that are grey-brown, gold or silvery. Some of it sold in Canada contained asbestos. Nobody can tell by looking whether a particular attic's vermiculite is safe, so it should be treated as if it contains asbestos until a lab says otherwise.
Health Canada's advice is simple. Do not disturb it, keep stored items out of the attic, and seal gaps where it could sift into the house. Removal, when it cannot be avoided, is a job for professionals.
Vermiculite is often hidden. In many older London houses, a later owner blew cellulose or fibreglass over the top of it, so the attic looks normal from the hatch. The vermiculite sits underneath, down between the joists, and only shows when someone digs in or measures the depth.
That is why every attic visit and every insulation removal quote starts with a check of the bottom layer, not just the top. If the bottom layer looks like small shiny pebbles, we treat it as vermiculite until the lab result comes back. In the meantime, do not move boxes around in that attic or run new wires through it.
Ontario Regulation 278/05 treats disturbing more than roughly ten square feet of vermiculite that contains asbestos as Type 3 asbestos work. Only trained abatement workers can do it, the Ministry of Labour has to be notified, and the work area is sealed off with strict air controls.
For that reason, vermiculite is never taken out by us. Our part is to find it, stop, arrange the test and coordinate the trained asbestos abatement contractor who does the removal.
Vermiculite is sometimes hidden under a layer of newer fill. If we find it during a visit or partway through a job, the hose goes off and nothing more is disturbed.
A sample then goes to a proper lab. Asbestos can sit unevenly through loose fill, so even a negative result is talked through with you before anything is disturbed. With a positive result, we line up the abatement contractor, wait for the air clearance, then return to seal the gaps and blow in new insulation.
A test usually costs about $300 to $800. Abating a vermiculite attic is a much bigger job, and market prices often fall between about $8,000 and $25,000, with attic size and the spread of the material driving the number. Those are regional figures, and the abatement contractor sets the final price.
After the clearance, attic insulation replacement brings the attic back up to today's levels.
Phone +1 (226) 400-3320 if you suspect vermiculite. We will walk you through what happens, arrange the test and plan the next steps with an abatement contractor. Everything else we do is listed on the home page.
Droppings, water and thin coverage often turn up in the same attic, so one visit can price several of these at once.
Attic insulation removal clears out insulation that has flattened, gone dirty or stopped holding heat. A vacuum machine parked outside pulls loose fill through a hose into large bags, and batts are rolled up and bagged by hand, leaving bare joists that are ready to be checked, sealed and filled again.
View Attic Insulation Removal
Blown-in insulation removal clears away old cellulose and fibreglass loose fill that has sunk, compacted or been spoiled by leaks or animals. A long hose draws the fill from between the joists into big bags standing outside, so nothing is carried through the house and the attic finishes empty.
View Blown-In Insulation Removal
Attic cleaning and decontamination removes droppings, nesting and soiled insulation left by mice, squirrels, raccoons and bats. The old fill is wetted or treated and taken out with respirators on and the exhaust outside, and the empty attic is then disinfected and treated for odour before anything new goes in.
View Attic Cleaning and Decontamination
Wet, mouldy and smoke-damaged insulation removal deals with fill spoiled by roof leaks, ice dams, a bath fan that exhausts into the attic space, or a fire. The damage is photographed for any insurance claim, the ruined material comes out, and the roof boards are left open to dry and be checked.
View Wet, Mouldy and Smoke-Damaged Insulation Removal
Attic insulation replacement puts the attic back together after the old fill comes out. While the joists are bare, leaks around wiring, plumbing and ceiling boxes are sealed, eave baffles are fitted, and fresh loose fill is added until it reaches R-50 or R-60, which matches Ontario's new-home standard.
View Attic Insulation Replacement
Pre-sale and home inspection insulation removal handles attic problems that surface during a house sale, such as droppings, soaked insulation or possible vermiculite. Buyers, sellers, agents and inspectors receive a quick written price, then a set of before and after pictures they can pass along.
View Pre-Sale and Home Inspection Insulation RemovalWe climb into the attic, measure it and put the price in writing. Nothing is owed for the visit, and saying no costs nothing.
Describe the attic and anything you have noticed, such as droppings, a smell, water stains or thin insulation. Your name and phone number are all the form needs. If you would rather talk it over, you can call us at +1 (226) 400-3320.
