How can you tell asbestos siding

We can help you determine whether there is asbestos in your siding and give you a few suggestions for dealing with it.

Many old houses have asbestos siding on their exteriors. Asbestos siding was a very popular product back in the s and s where siding shingles were traditionally reinforced with asbestos fibers.

There are some characteristics you can look for while trying to spot asbestos siding on your own, such as:. Posted in Blog. Should Asbestos Siding Be Removed? Worried About Your Asbestos Siding? For these reasons manufacturers have widely used asbestos for years to make: Construction materials Such as attic and wall insulation, vinyl floor tiles, shingles, siding, and blankets created to protect hot water pipes Textiles Specifically heat-resistant fabrics Automotive parts Like car brakes We will focus here on asbestos siding , which was created when asbestos fibers were mixed with cement and applied to the exterior of homes as shingles.

A History of Asbestos Siding Asbestos cement was first used on the exteriors of homes in the early s when an Austrian engineer discovered how to form it into sheets, which allowed it to be manufactured as siding and shingles. Not only was asbestos siding resistant to fire and heat, but it also: Resisted termite damage Stood up well to rot Was weatherproof Was extremely durable for many years Was easy to clean and maintain Was less porous than wood, making it easy to paint Because of all these positive attributes, asbestos siding was then found pretty much everywhere.

This led to the diseases: Asbestosis — scarring in the lungs from breathing in asbestos fibers Pleural disease — a non-cancerous disease in which the membranes surrounding the lungs and chest cavity thicken or fluid builds up around the lungs Lung cancer — greatly increased when cigarette smoking and exposure to asbestos are combined Mesothelioma — a rare cancer of the membranes around the lungs and chest cavity, abdominal cavity, or other organs Pretty scary stuff.

House siding containing asbestos could be in the form of: Corrugated sheets — an easy and more affordable alternative to corrugated metal panels, these sheets were used in the siding of many types of buildings. Asbestos lumber — also called asbestos cement sheathing, it was used in siding materials such as false brick facing and shingles. However, if you see a combination of any of the following characteristics, that points to the likelihood of the siding containing asbestos: It will most often have two or three nail holes at the bottom of each panel.

It feels denser to the touch than modern fiber cement siding. The texture seems somewhat chalky. It is a inch by inch shingle or shake. It has a pressed wood grain pattern or a wavy pattern at the bottom Also, newer, asbestos-free siding shingles usually have a manufacturing code stamped on the back. Durability Asbestos siding was prized for decades due to its high level of durability.

Paper-like vapor barriers can present more of a hazard, since they are considered friable. However, heat, water, weathering or aging can weaken "nonfriable" siding and roofing to the point where they are considered friable.

Friable materials can release asbestos fibers into the air. Avoid breaking, sanding, cutting, drilling and sawing the materials. These types of activities can release asbestos fibers into the air. To inspect the building and collect a sample, you should use a:. If your siding is in good condition and intact, then your risk of exposure is low. Damaged asbestos siding, however, could release the hazardous fibers that cause lung disease.

The siding specialists at PJ Fitzpatrick have experience identifying asbestos siding. Contact our company for an estimate today. Website by the Prager Microsystems, Inc. Digital Marketing Agency.