Asbestos In Aluminum Siding

Asbestos shingles are relatively strong but.

Asbestos in aluminum siding.

If your siding fits either of these descriptions you should consider having it tested. Lead paint wasn t outlawed until 1978 so it s sure to be present on siding going back to the 1950s. Let the siding dry then prime and paint with the best exterior latex you can find. Cement asbestos wall shingles outside and not easily friable unless being demolished or cut with power tools.

Aluminum siding is pretty easy to identify. Most siding companies are well experienced at techniques for covering over existing asbestos cement siding with new vinyl aluminum or fiber cement siding. And see asbestos cement siding for details about cement asbestos building siding its repair removal demolition or cover over. 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.

Covering old asbestos shingles with new siding may seem like an option too but it s not easy to do safely. Removing asbestos is often cost prohibitive for most people. Testing your siding for asbestos. It is very brittle and has a tendency to crack and break when nailed which can release asbestos fibers into both the air and ground.

While older homes will likely contain asbestos in roofing insulation and tiles it can also be present in exterior siding. The siding may also contain asbestos if it is old with a wood grain texture to resemble cedar. Efflorescence chalking can commonly be seen on asbestos siding. See photos at asbestos siding in this document.

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. Asbestos ranks high on the list of dangerous substances because of its toxic and carcinogenic properties when airborne. 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 siding is composed of asbestos fibers mixed with portland cement.