Vermiculite was a commonly used insulation in attics and walls, it was used for its insulating and fire resistant properties. Although vermiculite itself doesn’t contain asbestos, the mines in which it was taken from often did, leading to asbestos fiber contamination in the vermiculite.
Disturbing vermiculite that contains asbestos will release any asbestos fibers contained in the vermiculite, leading to contamination of the rest of the building, this is why the abatement process is a level 3 abatement. Level 3 being the most dangerous as there is an almost definite chance the asbestos fibers will go airborne during the abatement process.
Vermiculite Removal Level – Type 3 – Very dangerous, asbestos likely to become airborne during abatement
It is crucial that a professional abatement company completes the process so you can keep your family and/or occupants safe. We are equipped with the proper equipment, tools, PPE and training to complete the job without contaminating the rest of the building – which would lead to extensive costs.
If you are planning on adding new insulation or removing the current vermiculite to add new insulation, companies will not complete the new installation without proven documentation from an accredited business who are professionally trained to test and/or remove the vermiculite. Often times, a company won’t even go into an attic that contains vermiculite without prior testing to ensure it’s free from asbestos.
The Costs Associated with Vermiculite Removal in Winnipeg
Vermiculite Survey – Testing the vermiculite for asbestos
A survey is completed before we complete the abatement, this survey will tell you if the vermiculite contains asbestos, during this process, we take samples of the vermiculite and send them out of country for third party lab testing. From there, we report their findings and provide you with the documentation to prove it so there are no issues down the road.
Typical vermiculite survey cost - $499 – $799+gst depending on desired result speed and required amount of samples. Results can take 2 - 10 business days, rushing the results costs more.
For more information on Asbestos Surveys, Click Here.
Vermiculite Removal – Completing the abatement
The costs associate with vermiculite removal depend on a variety of factors including – Area, access, containment and decontamination location, thickness of vermiculite, etc.
As we are working with hazardous materials, the waste must be disposed of properly which will be included in your customized estimate. We’re also required to acquire third party air clearance testing ($399), this testing is mandatory and included in your custom estimate. The air clearance testing is completed once abatement is complete and tells us the building is safe for occupancy.
Typically the entire vermiculite removal process will cost between $10 - $15 per square foot, the average vermiculite project works out to be around $10,000 - $15,000
Ex: A 900ft² attic vermiculite removal can cost between - $10 – 14k+gst
Now, what does this cost include?
For information on the vermiculite removal process click HERE
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us by clicking HERE or emailing us at info@reliefrestorations.com
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