Old House Siding Asbestos

Unless asbestos siding is disturbed it doesn t pose a significant health hazard and does not need to be removed.

Old house siding asbestos.

Removing asbestos is often cost prohibitive for most people. If you suspect that your siding may contain asbestos there is no need for alarm. The siding may also contain asbestos if it is old with a wood grain texture to resemble cedar. Cement asbestos wall shingles outside and not easily friable unless being demolished or cut with power tools.

Let the siding dry then prime and paint with the best exterior latex you can find. Alternatively if you leave the asbestos on your home you can safely seal the old siding underneath the new siding and because asbestos is an excellent insulator you will actually be adding to the energy efficiency of your home by leaving it on. A highly effective and inexpensive fire retardant material and thermal and acoustic insulator asbestos was used extensively in home construction from the early 1940s through the 1970s. Testing your siding for asbestos.

If necessary carefully lift siding pieces with pry tool to expose nail heads. Wet the back of each piece of siding as it is removed. Because fiber cement siding manufactured in north america after around 1978 was made without using asbestos in those later products and because those non asbestos fiber cement shingles included products that by eye were an exact visual match for their older asbestos containing brothers and sisters already installed a building built. If your siding fits either of these descriptions you should consider having it tested.

These shingles are generally 12 by 24 inches and the bottom tends to have a wave like pattern though that is not always the case. Breakage releases asbestos fibers. Asbestos ranks high on the list of dangerous substances because of its toxic and carcinogenic properties when airborne. Lower removed siding to the ground.

The name has its origin in the greek word for inextinguishable. If siding should begin to crack or crumble immediately wet the cracked or broken areas with the pint size spray bottle or garden pump sprayer. See photos at asbestos siding in this document. Most siding companies are well experienced at techniques for covering over existing asbestos cement siding with new vinyl aluminum or fiber cement siding.

Lead paint wasn t outlawed until 1978 so it s sure to be present on siding going back to the 1950s. If a siding company removes an outer layer of siding and finds an older layer of asbestos cement siding beneath the standard procedure is simply to cover it over with new siding rather. Asbestos shingles are relatively strong but. While older homes will likely contain asbestos in roofing insulation and tiles it can also be present in exterior siding.

And see asbestos cement siding for details about cement asbestos building siding its repair removal demolition or cover over.