Asbestos Siding Description

Look for asbestos markings on the roofing or siding material or the packages in which they came or call the manufacturer.

Asbestos siding description.

A brief history of asbestos cement siding. Covering old asbestos shingles with new siding may seem like an option too but it s not easy to do safely. The portland cement binds asbestos fibers into a hard mass. On the general risk scale of dealing with materials that contain asbestos siding ranks very low and is far less risky and dangerous than asbestos in insulation sheetrock or pipewrap.

Asbestos cement was first developed in 1905 by the johns manville company who became one of the premier manufacturers of cement asbestos materials. Cementious siding and roofing such as fiber cement siding lap siding and fiber cement roof shingles containing asbestos may then have appeared on homes constructed between 1906 and 1980 in north america and contining later in some other countries. You may choose to take a sample of siding from a damaged area of siding. Another alternative is to hire a minnesota certified asbestos inspector to sample the material and submit it for laboratory analysis.

That cement was then pressed into siding shingles that came in a wide. Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that can be fluffed into a wooly consistency and mixed into building materials such as cement. Cementious siding and roofing such as fiber cement siding lap siding and fiber cement roof shingles containing asbestos may then have appeared on homes constructed between 1906 and 1980 in north america and continuing later in some other countries. Siding is by nature very durable and it s difficult for fibers to become airborne.

Asbestos siding was very commonly used in buildings and homes from around the 1920s until the 1980s and can still be found in many older homes in the u s. Asbestos siding was made by adding asbestos a naturally occurring mineral to portland cement. Since it doesn t expand or contract with the outside temperature asbestos siding makes a good base for paint. Put on a mask and scrape away some siding material into a baggie.

Asbestos was particularly prevalent in siding that resembles shingles or was made to look like wood grain. Asbestos cement is a mixture of portland cement reinforced with asbestos fibers. 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.

Adding asbestos makes cement more durable weatherproof and heat resistant and because asbestos cement sheets are fireproof builders initially considered them a much safer material than wood. It was popular in the 1960s and 1970s across the nation and is still on homes constructed during that period.