Does My Siding Contain 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.

Does my siding contain asbestos. Damaged roofing and siding should be carefully repaired. Sometimes asbestos containing roofing and siding can be covered with new materials. Asbestos is a popular material that has been used to reinforce concrete shingles. You can t see or smell asbestos but exposure to loose fibers can cause lung disease such as mesothelioma asbestosis or lung cancer.

The only reliable way to know if your home contains asbestos is to hire an environmental consulting firm or asbestos building inspector for asbestos testing. However asbestos fibers can cause serious lung and respiratory problems if inhaled. Exposure to and breathing asbestos fibers can result in lung problems and cancer. Cementitious siding installed after 1973 is very unlikely to contain asbestos.

The siding may also contain asbestos if it is old with a wood grain texture to resemble cedar. Asbestos containing roofing and siding in good condition are best left alone. Because of its fire resistant properties asbestos was common in many home materials including roofing shingles. 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 siding is composed of asbestos fibers mixed with portland cement. They ll take fingernail sized samples and test them in a laboratory. Asbestos ranks high on the list of dangerous substances because of its toxic and carcinogenic properties when airborne. While older homes will likely contain asbestos in roofing insulation and tiles it can also be present in exterior siding.

Just having asbestos siding and roofing on your home does not pose a hazard to your health. There is no legal requirement to do so nor is there significant real estate benefit. It was a popular additive to various housing materials from the 1920 s to the 1960 s. It comes in the form of fiber and has a high fire retardant property which serves as a good reinforcement for concrete.

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. These materials are known as fiber cement siding and they contain no asbestos. Cement asbestos siding tiles do not need to be removed simply because they contain asbestos. Shingles placed on a roof before the mid 1980s might contain asbestos.