The portland cement binds asbestos fibers into a hard mass.
Asbestos siding what do asbestos shingles look like.
Look for siding that looks like roof shingles.
If they look old they might have asbestos fibers in them.
If you don t know the age of the shingles inspect them for wear.
If the asbestos material is in good shape and will not be disturbed do nothing.
See photos at asbestos siding in this document.
Asbestos shingles are relatively strong but brittle.
You can t drive screws and nails through them without pre drilling.
The front may have a grainy sandy texture.
This would trigger dust and asbestos dust is a problem as i ve mentioned.
Asbestos shingles were so common during the 20th century that almost any shingles installed between 1920 and 1986 probably include asbestos.
Asbestos siding was manufactured to resemble many different materials so it doesn t always look the same.
Asbestos is a natural fibrous mineral used for insulation and fireproofing.
The bottom of an asbestos siding tile may have a wave like pattern though not always.
It is usually brittle and the back may be black and have the appearance of tar paper.
When the fibers become airborne they pose health concerns.
Old asbestos siding tiles may also have a wood grain texture like cedar.
Cement asbestos wall shingles outside and not easily friable unless being demolished or cut with power tools.
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.
Look for a siding that is made to look like roof shingles.
Determine when the shingles were installed on your roof.
Asbestos cement is a mixture of portland cement reinforced with asbestos fibers.
Asbestos siding was manufactured to resemble many materials so it won t always look the same.
Asbestos cement was first developed in 1905 by the johns manville company who became one of the premier manufacturers of cement asbestos materials.
Asbestos cement roofing shingles and siding products are not likely to release asbestos fibers unless sawed dilled or cut.
This is the most common pattern used.
Testing for positive id.
And see asbestos cement siding for details about cement asbestos building siding its repair removal demolition or cover over.
Covering old asbestos shingles with new siding may seem like an option too but it s not easy to do safely.
Most likely the shingles are in two sizes 12 inch or 24 inch.
The use of asbestos siding shingles was a popular one that was used in the us from the early part of the 20th century until the 1970s.
The siding was made by combining cement with asbestos which is a naturally occurring mineral that is fibrous in nature and fireproof.
