Asbestos Siding Identification

Asbestos ranks high on the list of dangerous substances because of its toxic and carcinogenic properties when airborne.

Asbestos siding identification.

If the fibers become airborne they could pose a health hazard for people around. What does asbestos siding look like and how to identify it. Identifying asbestos siding is a major concern for many homeowners with older homes that have cement siding. It can be hard to just visually be able to identify if a material contains asbestos or not since there s not a specific thing that it looks like.

Asbestos was particularly prevalent in siding that resembles shingles or was made to look like wood grain. You may choose to take a sample of siding from a damaged area of siding. Recognizing siding with asbestos asbestos siding was manufactured to resemble many different materials so it doesn t always look the same. Since asbestos was included as an additive when siding was manufactured for many decades the odds are good that original shingle siding on holder homes may contain asbestos.

If your siding has these characteristics then asbestos could be present. Look for a siding that is made to look like roof shingles. These steps will help with the identification process. Identifying asbestos siding is impossible unless you have a sample tested in a lab.

While older homes will likely contain asbestos in roofing insulation and tiles it can also be present in exterior siding. For this reason it s important to know what asbestos siding looks like and how to identify it. Asbestos are fibrous minerals that contain thin long fibers which occur naturally. It is generally very brittle and the back may be black and have the appearance of tar paper.