Asbestos Siding And Asphalt Siding House

This article provides photographs of asphalt based siding products and discusses common defects observed in asphalt exterior building siding such as buckling splitting cracks odors and questions about the need for a vapor barrier behind asphalt siding and over building sheathing.

Asbestos siding and asphalt siding house.

If you suspect that your siding may contain asbestos there is no need for alarm. Covering old asbestos shingles with new siding may seem like an option too but it s not easy to do safely. A brief history of asbestos cement siding. Let the siding dry then prime and paint with the best exterior latex you can find.

Asbestos cement is a mixture of portland cement reinforced with asbestos fibers. It is very difficult to remove spray paint graffiti without also dissolving or discoloring some of the siding surface coating material itself. Unless asbestos siding is disturbed it doesn t pose a significant health hazard and does not need to be removed. Asphalt or cement roofing and siding that contain asbestos when intact and in good condition are generally considered nonfriable and are not hazardous.

This old house has asphalt siding the type that comes in panels that measure about 18 x 28 inches designed to look like several courses of brick. Asbestos house siding was used in many homes until the epa banned its use in new products in 1989. Both the epa and the vinyl siding institute recommend not disturbing asbestos if at all possible. Installing vinyl siding will require disturbing the asbestos by nailing into it.

Removing asbestos is often cost prohibitive for most people. Asbestos shingles are relatively strong but. Nonfriable means they cannot be broken up by hand pressure. Alternatively if you leave the asbestos on your home you can safely seal the old siding underneath the new siding and because asbestos is an excellent insulator you will actually be adding to the energy efficiency of your home by leaving it on.

Asbestos ranks high on the list of dangerous substances because of its toxic and carcinogenic properties when airborne. The portland cement binds asbestos fibers into a hard mass. Lead paint wasn t outlawed until 1978 so it s sure to be present on siding going back to the 1950s. While older homes will likely contain asbestos in roofing insulation and tiles it can also be present in exterior siding.

Asbestos cement was first developed in 1905 by the johns manville company who became one of the premier manufacturers of cement asbestos materials.