Strange "pellets" in the loft.

Matt · May 21, 2019

Hey,

I am very new to the trade and I was helping a mate on a house rewire the other day and I found something that intrigued me. When I went up into the loft I found loads if these:

[ElectriciansForums.net] Strange "pellets" in the loft.

Does anybody know what these are? the loft floor is littered with loads of them. The house is really old, if that matters. Is it some sort of degraded insulation?

ruston · May 21, 2019

It looks like Vermiculite , it is a fireproof insulation used in heating systems and boilers.

Bob Geldoff1234 · May 21, 2019

It was used as loft insulation in the fifty's.I have it in my house.I just put the fibre glass over the top of it.It hasn't degraded,that's what it looks like

ruston · May 21, 2019

Bob Geldoff1234 said:
It was used as loft insulation in the fifty's.I have it in my house.I just put the fibre glass over the top of it.It hasn't degraded,that's what it looks like

It was common around Rayburn and Parkray solid fuel boilers too.
It was very effective at keeping the heat where it should be.

Darkwood · May 21, 2019

It's what some instant mash used to look like in the old days, lucky they didn't have a leak!

Squid · May 21, 2019

Unpolished diamonds was the previous owner Jewish?

Matt · May 21, 2019

I believe it is Vermiculite. Definitely looks the part after a Google search.

It says that it was almost entirely mined in a place called Libby in the US and that it is almost certain it contains different kinds of asbestos... Anybody had any experience with this stuff?

ruston · May 21, 2019

It will only contain asbestos if it was used with asbestos .
I do not think it is in the make up of Vermiculite .
Search for a recent post on here just a few days ago.

Matt · May 21, 2019

Oh ffs...

It says "from some sources", but what if (hopefuly according to legend) it was almost entierly dugup in that Libby place. That would make it very much real that it had asbestos.

PEG · May 21, 2019

Exfoliated Vermiculite .... used loads of it...cut down on it,now the Rave scene has passed

FatAlan · May 21, 2019

Also used a lot by gardeners for growing up seedlings.

FatAlan · May 21, 2019

FatAlan said:
Also used a lot by gardeners for growing up seedlings.

Funnily enough Just seen Monty Don using some on Gardeners World

Matt · May 21, 2019

Well then I see a lot of people are well acquainted with Vermiculite. I have a question then - I assume that before any works done to the inside of a house, an Asbestos Survey should be carried out.
I doubt that the people at which house we were working in had any clue about this stuff laying about over their heads - especially that they were still living in one of the rooms while some workers were tearing the place apart...

The question is, should I inform them (workers, owners) about this stuff? Considering that they are definitely still going on with the job.

Pete999 · May 22, 2019

Matt said:
Hey,

I am very new to the trade and I was helping a mate on a house rewire the other day and I found something that intrigued me. When I went up into the loft I found loads if these:

View attachment 49484 Does anybody know what these are? the loft floor is littered with loads of them. The house is really old, if that matters. Is it some sort of degraded insulation?

Vermiculite.

Darkwood · May 22, 2019

Matt said:
Well then I see a lot of people are well acquainted with Vermiculite. I have a question then - I assume that before any works done to the inside of a house, an Asbestos Survey should be carried out.
I doubt that the people at which house we were working in had any clue about this stuff laying about over their heads - especially that they were still living in one of the rooms while some workers were tearing the place apart...

The question is, should I inform them (workers, owners) about this stuff? Considering that they are definitely still going on with the job.

You have IMHO gone about this the correct way, you have had your suspicions here but before you have made that call you have done a little research which in this case is an insulation you have learned about and is not a concern.
Yes asbestos can be found in domestic too but it is often mixed into materials that render it a low risk like old lino's, having said that it can be found in its 'high risk' categories too so my advice is do more research about where asbestos is likely to be found, the different kinds and what they may look like, this way you won't become the boy that cries wolf every time you come across something you cannot identify.
It makes more sense to be informed about what could be and looks like asbestos than trying to learn all the historic common components used in your work environment that you do not recognise.