While many of us can be concerned about asbestos-containing materials (ACM) like Super Six roofing and vinyl flooring in our homes, there’s one significant hazard that doesn’t tend to get as much attention, and that’s loose fill asbestos.

What is loose fill asbestos? What does loose fill asbestos look like? We’ll answer all those questions and more below.

What Is Loose Fill Asbestos?

Unlike the asbestos you find manufactured into building materials like cladding and vinyl, loose fill asbestos is a loose form of the natural material used as asbestos insulation. It consists of raw asbestos crushed up into a fine material that looks similar to what you’d find in a bird’s nest or the inside of a cushion.

It was installed in roof spaces and even walls as insulation for its excellent insulating properties for several decades until we learned it was hazardous to our health. While asbestos is unlikely to cause great harm when left undisturbed, that’s not always possible when it’s present in areas you may need to access.

You may need to enter your ceiling cavity for various reasons, such as the installation of heating and cooling equipment. Installing something as straightforward as a picture on your wall may also be a high-risk activity with loose fill asbestos. Once disturbed, it can move from your roof cavity into walls and subfloor areas. As soon as it’s airborne, it can become a health hazard.

Loose fill asbestos insulation was used extensively in Australia and other parts of the world, but it’s less common here. In fact, insulation, in general, was rare until the late 1970s.

The first bylaw that required it to be installed in homes went into effect in 1971-1972 in Christchurch. Six years later, thermal insulation became a legal requirement in homes throughout the rest of New Zealand.

As a result, we don’t have the same loose fill insulation problem that other countries have. It tended to only feature in commercial buildings and is unlikely to be found in most residential properties. The most common insulation materials to find is fibreglass and wool, rather than loose fill asbestos.

What Does Loose Fill Asbestos Look Like?

For curiosity’s sake or to know whether your home or business has loose fill insulation in it, you may have asked the question: loose fill asbestos can be found in what form? If you happen to discover something that looks fluffy with white, grey, or blue colouring, it’s likely to be loose fill asbestos, which is pure asbestos.

When you spot insulation with such features, isolate the area and call your local asbestos removal specialist. They can carry out testing to confirm it’s asbestos, then provide options around its removal.

Loose Fill Insulation Types

We are fortunate to have very few examples of loose fill insulation in our homes and businesses here in New Zealand. However, we just thought we’d share some information on what asbestos insulation products exist, especially in the realm of loose fill.

The most notorious product was Zonolite, which was installed in millions of homes across the United States from the 1940s until 1984. Today, it is estimated that at least 30 million homes still have Zonolite.

Unlike other building products that were knowingly produced with asbestos, that wasn’t the case with Zonolite. It was made with vermiculite which came from a tremolite asbestos-contaminated mine in Libby, Montana.

The United States wasn’t the only country to be landed with dangerous asbestos insulation. During the 1960s and 1970s, Asbestosfluf attic insulation, known as Mr. Fluffy, was a loose fill asbestos product installed in homes across Australia.

A removal program was carried out during the 1980s, but because mineral fibres had severely contaminated several homes, the Australian government discovered it was more cost-effective to buy homes and demolish them in some situations.

What to Do When You Discover Loose Fill Asbestos

One of the last things you want to find in your walls, ceiling cavity, or anywhere in your home is loose fill asbestos. Its natural state is friable, which means as soon as it’s airborne, it can pose a risk to your health.

Inhaling asbestos can lead to a variety of diseases such as:

• Asbestosis – lung tissue scarring

• Mesothelioma – tumours and cancer

• Pleural plaques – lung membrane thickening

• Cancer – most commonly ovary, larynx, and lung

No ‘safe’ exposure limit has been identified, but the longer you are exposed to asbestos, the higher your risk of asbestos-related illnesses might be.

Kiwis love DIY, but taking care of loose fill asbestos yourself is not an option. When you identify it, keep everyone away from the area it was found, block it off if you can, and contact asbestos removal experts to take control of the situation. Fortunately, we have plenty of other safe insulation options at our disposal.