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Vermiculite insulation that comes from a particular mine before 1990 is likely to contain asbestos. This is particularly true in the U.S. However, not all types of vermiculite insulation contain asbestos. Since you can't detect the presence of asbestos without special equipment, it's best to assume that the insulation contains the dangerous mineral and to either leave it alone or hire a professional to handle it.

No, but it’s common that they do. Gravity furnaces weren’t terribly efficient so wrapping either the ductwork in asbestos, the furnace itself, or both, was something done regularly. This allowed the system to retain more heat. At the time, this greatly enhanced the efficiency of the furnaces but it wasn’t until later that we became aware of just how carcinogenic and dangerous asbestos could be.

Asbestos-containing materials are not easily affected by water and do not disintegrate or dissolve when exposed to it. However, porous materials can deteriorate due to water exposure, leading to the release of asbestos fibers into the air. The settling of asbestos fibers can also occur as water makes them heavy, which reduces the risk of airborne exposure, though future disturbance of the materials could cause risk. Wetting asbestos-containing materials does not constitute safe removal, and the proper handling and disposal of asbestos materials should be left to professionals.

Since the EPA partially banned asbestos in 1989, it is no longer used to manufacture new siding in the United States; production had largely ceased by the early 1980s. Many other countries, such as Canada, Iceland, and Denmark, also have bans on asbestos. However, asbestos siding is still present in many homes built before the late 1980s. The only definitive way to know if your siding contains asbestos is to have it professionally lab-tested.