Pat writes from Grande Prairie, Alberta: "I was looking at adding insulation to my attic. Presently we have vermiculite which we had tested to see if it contained asbestos. The report says that it contained under 1% asbestos. Is it safe to add either blown in insulation or bats to the attic?"

Answer: If you have concerns about the vermiculite insulation they should be addressed to the manufacturer. We don't know who made yours but one manufacturer of vermiculite insulation is WR Grace. You can find information about their product at: http://www.grace.com/About/EHS/Libby/Zonolite.aspx.

If you are thinking of removing the vermiculite, we recommend consulting a professional contractor to investigate your situation and then recommend how to remove and replace the vermiculite with fiberglass insulation.

A third option is to add fiberglass insulation on top of the exiting insulation without removing or disturbing it.