How To Spot Asbestos Siding

Asbestos siding removal isn t free but if you re having it replaced with something else you just might be able to get a good deal with the company you end up choosing.

How to spot asbestos siding.

Older style cement siding shingles were traditionally made by mixing asbestos into the cement in order to fireproof and strengthen siding. Most siding companies are well experienced at techniques for covering over existing asbestos cement siding with new vinyl aluminum or fiber cement siding. Testing your siding for asbestos. The reported costs for such projects range from 500 to 4 500 while the typical cost for asbestos siding removal is generally between 1 000 and 2 500.

And see asbestos cement siding for details about cement asbestos building siding its repair removal demolition or cover over. The siding specialists at pj fitzpatrick have experience identifying asbestos siding. Roofing and siding shingles are among the most common materials to contain asbestos and will readily release fibers into the air if broken. However asbestos fibers can cause serious lung and respiratory problems if inhaled.

The siding may also contain asbestos if it is old with a wood grain texture to resemble cedar. Asbestos was also put into cement used on the exterior of buildings to help insulate the. Identifying asbestos siding the only way to be sure if your siding has asbestos in it is to collect a sample and send it to an accredited testing lab. Asbestos wasn t always added to cement siding and there s no way to tell from a visual test or physical inspection on site if siding really does have asbestos in it.

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. Most older cement board products contain asbestos. It is virtually impossible for anyone but a trained professional with a high powered microscope to tell definitively whether a shingle contains asbestos. As the experts at asbestos siding note it is sometimes difficult to spot because it was often manufactured to resemble different types of siding in a variety of colors and textures.

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. If a siding company removes an outer layer of siding and finds an older layer of asbestos cement siding beneath the standard procedure is simply to cover it over with new siding rather. See photos at asbestos siding in this document. However there are ways you can determine whether it is likely that your shingles contain asbestos.

Cement asbestos wall shingles outside and not easily friable unless being demolished or cut with power tools. If your siding fits either of these descriptions you should consider having it tested. Contact our company for an estimate today.