I am new to the forum. My wife and I are in the midst of a bathroom remodel. A few days ago the contractor brought down the ceiling and it's been discovered vermiculite rained down everywhere. Now my wife and I are freaking out. They had the door closed and a fan blowing out the window. By the time we came home it was all cleaned up. I vacuumed and mopped a few times, but am still concerned. What should I do? We have a small child and we have already been there a few days. Any suggestions would be helpful. We are in new York.
Vermiculite discovered
- Thread starter Shumpert
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nealtw
Contractor retired
Welcome to the site. Shame on your contractor for not removing it properly. You could get an air quality test done. Only some of it contained asbestos.
nealtw
Contractor retired
drewdin
Junior Member
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I had the same thing done here, i even went to the doctors. The doctor told me that unless i was around it 24/7 for months at a time i should be fine and thats if it was asbestos. Its dangerous when its airborne and can be breathed in.
I opened up the floor and there was vermiculite everywhere, but i didn't know what it was at the time. I got on my hands and knees with a dustpan and broom and swept it all up without a mask or anything. After i was done, the contractor told me that he has never seen anything like that stuff before and to be careful.
Later on i found a bag in the wall that said it was vermiculite, along with an address of where it was purchased. I tried to track them down but the company had long since closed. I then searched for virmiculite/asbestos cases in my area and couldn't find any.
After some research i found that it was one mine where they got the vermiculite from that contained asbestos. The percentage was about 4% of the amount sold since 1960 might contain asbestos.
I called the local testing place here and they said it would cost 400 to come and take the sample and 1000 to get it tested. The lady told me that it might not even be correct, i guess it depends on the sample and how/where that take it from. She said it was possible that the place they take the sample from could be fine even though there still might be some asbestos in my house.
I just ended up wearing a mask for the rest of the renovation. I would start researching your area for asbestos issues and see if there is anything in the past 30 years or so, if you can't find anything i would bet your ok.
I opened up the floor and there was vermiculite everywhere, but i didn't know what it was at the time. I got on my hands and knees with a dustpan and broom and swept it all up without a mask or anything. After i was done, the contractor told me that he has never seen anything like that stuff before and to be careful.
Later on i found a bag in the wall that said it was vermiculite, along with an address of where it was purchased. I tried to track them down but the company had long since closed. I then searched for virmiculite/asbestos cases in my area and couldn't find any.
After some research i found that it was one mine where they got the vermiculite from that contained asbestos. The percentage was about 4% of the amount sold since 1960 might contain asbestos.
I called the local testing place here and they said it would cost 400 to come and take the sample and 1000 to get it tested. The lady told me that it might not even be correct, i guess it depends on the sample and how/where that take it from. She said it was possible that the place they take the sample from could be fine even though there still might be some asbestos in my house.
I just ended up wearing a mask for the rest of the renovation. I would start researching your area for asbestos issues and see if there is anything in the past 30 years or so, if you can't find anything i would bet your ok.
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