Inspector noted vermiculite in a Glebe attic: what now?

Health Canada's advice on vermiculite insulation is short: do not disturb it, and do not attempt to remove it yourself. An inspector's note means they saw a material that looks like vermiculite. It is a suspected material, not a confirmed one.

Health Canada explains that asbestos may still be found in older building materials, including some insulation, and that there are no significant health risks if materials containing asbestos are left undisturbed, isolated in an attic, sealed behind walls and floorboards, or tightly bound in products that are in good condition. It also says to hire a professional to test for asbestos before renovating or remodelling, and, if a professional finds asbestos, to hire a qualified asbestos removal specialist to remove it safely.

So the order of steps from Health Canada's guidance is:

• Leave the attic insulation undisturbed.
• If you want to know what it is, have a professional test it; a home inspector's visual note cannot confirm it.
• If testing finds asbestos and the material is to come out, that is work for a qualified asbestos removal specialist.

Testing and removal as a service are covered on ottawaabatement.com.

On the purchase itself, ontario.ca lists the buyer's options after an inspection: ask the seller to make certain repairs, accept a defect and deal with its consequences, ask for a price adjustment, or not buy the home. Which of those your offer allows is a question for your agent or lawyer, and so is the timing if you are inside a condition period.

Ontario.ca also reminds buyers that a home inspection is a visual inspection of major elements and systems and that an inspector cannot see or find everything, which is why a suspected material in the Glebe attic is noted rather than identified.

Ask your agent or lawyer what your condition allows before you decide how to raise the attic with the seller.