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Severna Park, Maryland
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Severna Park, Maryland
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 white powder in attic
[#3] Posted: 01/22/2009 - 7:08:28 PM |  |  |
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Quote: Originally posted by inspecthistoricI don't know if I would describe that as spread/applied. It looks like something stored broke open or spilled. Do you have an establishing shot? Quote: Should I recommend that this substance be tested to see what it is? Did you taste it? Jim K would!
It was evenly dusted all over. There is no doubt in my mind that someone made the effort to spread it. The picture of the pile is perhaps where some was also spilled. I can see how that picture could mislead. There were other attic eve areas that had access doors. The powder was spread in those areas too. Clearly, the effort and intent was to spread it all around.
No, I did not taste it. I do taste fluids dripping from cars sometimes to see what they are. I havn't yet developed the habit of tasting unknown powders that I find in attics. Especially after the home owner tells me the pest control guy "sprayed" up there.
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John Dirks Jr - Arundel Home Inspection LLC - MD license: 29827
Maryland Home Inspectors - Maryland Home Inspection - Maryland Radon Testing - Baltimore County Rental Inspection
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Seattle, WA
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white powder in attic
[#4] Posted: 01/22/2009 - 7:19:56 PM | | |
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It's hard to believe a pest control contractor would spread poison around like that in an area that might be accessed by humans, but who knows? I would report it as an unknown subtance and suggest the client have the home owner provide some rock-solid documentation from the pest guy on what he put up there. If that's not forthcoming, and you are not 100% certain it is just talc...well...I'm not sure I see any safe choice other than testing.
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Richard Moore
Rest Assured Inspection Services
Seattle, WA
http://www.rainspect.com
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nowhere, usa
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white powder in attic
[#5] Posted: 01/22/2009 - 7:26:51 PM | | |
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Makes me think of Seven, the garden dust to kill or keep bugs off garden plants. Maybe the homeowner was doing his own exterminating?
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Kenmore, WA
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white powder in attic
[#6] Posted: 01/22/2009 - 8:00:23 PM | | |
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It might simply be some boric acid powder. When I lived at Ft. McClellen, Al the pest guys would come around every few months and dust that stuff all over everthing under/behind counters and in closets to knock back cockroaches.
ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!
Mike
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Severna Park, Maryland
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Severna Park, Maryland
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white powder in attic
[#8] Posted: 01/22/2009 - 8:18:33 PM | | |
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I'll recommend that the pest control company be contacted to see if they can verify what is up there. I'll tell the client that if they don't feel comfortable with what the pest control company says, they should contact the Maryland Department of Agriculture and ask them to come out to take samples for testing.
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John Dirks Jr - Arundel Home Inspection LLC - MD license: 29827
Maryland Home Inspectors - Maryland Home Inspection - Maryland Radon Testing - Baltimore County Rental Inspection
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Seattle, WA
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Kenmore, WA
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white powder in attic
[#10] Posted: 01/22/2009 - 11:31:19 PM | | |
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Quote: Originally posted by John Dirks JrQuote: Originally posted by hausdok
It might simply be some boric acid powder. When I lived at Ft. McClellen, Al the pest guys would come around every few months and dust that stuff all over everthing under/behind counters and in closets to knock back cockroaches.
ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!
Mike So, can boric acid be harmful to humans when used like this?
ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!
Mike
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Gaston, Oregon
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white powder in attic
[#11] Posted: 01/23/2009 - 12:26:59 AM | | |
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I can't really tell from the picture, but I'd suspect boric acid also.
It's fairly benign to mammals but it's hell on insects. Around here people use it to bother carpenter ants.
- Jim Katen, Oregon
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Jim Katen, Oregon
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Bailey, CO
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white powder in attic
[#12] Posted: 01/23/2009 - 06:17:38 AM | | |
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Good morning, Gents!
I didn’t know that the broadcasting of boric acid was a pest control measure.
Question:
Could it cause an health hazard to the occupants?
Answer:
It would certainly present a far greater risk than either radon or indoor mould.
Having said that, it is not likely that the presence of the material (if it is boric acid) would result in a toxicologically significant exposure. Boric acid is a weak acid, and a simple field pH test would certainly confirm whether it had base or acid properties, but would not identify the material. However, if the pH was elevated, you could conclusively rule out boric acid.
Cheers!
Caoimhín P. Connell
Forensic Industrial Hygienist
www.forensic-applications.com
(The opinions expressed here are exclusively my personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect my professional opinion, opinion of my employer, agency, peers, or professional affiliates. The above post is for information only and does not reflect professional advice and is not intended to supercede the professional advice of others.)
AMDG
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Kenmore, WA
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white powder in attic
[#13] Posted: 01/23/2009 - 09:45:42 AM | | |
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Hi All,
I don't know if I've ever shown you all this link before, but it's one you really should have if you want to refer your clients to a source of information about how to safely deal with pests.
http://www.stephentvedten.com/
ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!
Mike
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Gaston, Oregon
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white powder in attic
[#14] Posted: 01/24/2009 - 9:20:09 PM | | |
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| Quote: Originally posted by Caoimhín P. Connell
Good morning, Gents!
I didn’t know that the broadcasting of boric acid was a pest control measure.
Well, it's not *supposed* to be broadcast like that. However, it can be very effective when injected into cavities.
Quote: Question:
Could it cause an health hazard to the occupants?
Answer:
It would certainly present a far greater risk than either radon or indoor mould.
Ha! Very funny. So would soft drinks & pizza.
Quote: Having said that, it is not likely that the presence of the material (if it is boric acid) would result in a toxicologically significant exposure. Boric acid is a weak acid, and a simple field pH test would certainly confirm whether it had base or acid properties, but would not identify the material. However, if the pH was elevated, you could conclusively rule out boric acid.
Tastes like Pez with a slightly bitter aftertaste.
- Jim Katen, Oregon
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Jim Katen, Oregon
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Nashville, TN
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white powder in attic
[#15] Posted: 01/24/2009 - 10:01:56 PM | | |
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I watched the Smug Channel (aka Green Channel) this AM, and learned that boric acid is routinely mixed into cellulose insulation. It must be true, because the Internet agrees with the Green Channel.
Another thing: They're using shredded blue jeans for wall insulation now. Says Steve Thomas, "You could eat it..."
WJ
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Kenmore, WA
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white powder in attic
[#16] Posted: 01/24/2009 - 11:31:19 PM | | |
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Hi,
Yes, borate is mixed with Silvawool (shredded wood) and cellulose (mulched newsprint) as a fire retardant. The cotten insulation has been around for a while now; it's pretty popular in new construction down under for some reason.
ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!
Mike
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St Augustine, Florida
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white powder in attic
[#17] Posted: 01/25/2009 - 05:21:49 AM | | |
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It's most likely a product like Delta Dust that contains Deltamethrin which is an insecticide dust. See it all the time in these parts.
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Dlord
Inspecting the oldest city |
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Severna Park, Maryland
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Evergreen Park (Chicago), IL
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white powder in attic
[#19] Posted: 06/21/2012 - 10:04:39 PM | | |
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I thought at first this insulation was cellulose but its fiberglass with a fine powder over it. I didn't taste it.
Boric acid? I wanted to think it was 50 years of dust but it's definitely a powder.
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Mike Lamb
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Norcross, GA
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white powder in attic
[#20] Posted: 10/29/2012 - 09:34:43 AM | | |
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Well if you see any dead rodents or critters in the vicinity of the white powder you can assume that the substance is a insecticide that was applied a while ago.
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Sykesville, Maryland
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white powder in attic
[#21] Posted: 11/02/2012 - 1:55:32 PM | | |
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Boric acid is also one of the main things used by the mattress industry. The boric acid is used to treat any flammable parts of the mattress (think cotton) to meet the US standards for flame retardation in mattresses. Basically, we sleep with it.
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