Asphalt Siding Contain Asbestos

Testing your siding for asbestos.

Asphalt siding contain asbestos.

Shingles placed on a roof before the mid 1980s might contain asbestos. A construction and demolition debris recycler in iowa has sampled loads of shingles since 1999. It is very difficult to remove spray paint graffiti without also dissolving or discoloring some of the siding surface coating material itself. It is noted that samples of built up roofing roofing mastics roofing felts and other asphalt roofing products other than shingles have been shown to contain asbestos.

Roof shingles even if the material contained asbestos which it might are rarely the only nor even the principal source of problem levels of asbestos fibers in a building and i. If you suspect that your siding may contain asbestos there is no need for alarm. However asbestos fibers can cause serious lung and respiratory problems if inhaled. While older homes will likely contain asbestos in roofing insulation and tiles it can also be present in exterior siding.

Some asphalt roof shingle products and therefore quite possibly some asphalt siding products did indeed contain asbestos fibers in their substrate or coating. There is no legal requirement to do so nor is there significant real estate benefit. Below is an overview of sampling results for asphalt shingles gathered to date. In addition many older asphalt tiles manufactured between the 1920s and 1960s contain asbestos filler fibers.

Asbestos ranks high on the list of dangerous substances because of its toxic and carcinogenic properties when airborne. 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. These materials are known as fiber cement siding and they contain no asbestos. The only true way to tell if the tiles contain asbestos is by checking the package or having a lab test a piece of the tile for asbestos.

It is virtually impossible for anyone but a trained professional with a high powered microscope to tell definitively whether a shingle contains asbestos. The siding may also contain asbestos if it is old with a wood grain texture to resemble cedar. If your siding fits either of these descriptions you should consider having it tested. Nonfriable means they cannot be broken up by hand pressure.

Cement asbestos siding tiles do not need to be removed simply because they contain asbestos. Wrap asbestos siding in 6 mil thick plastic sheeting and secure the plastic with duct tape or place the debris in heavy duty plastic bags. Cementitious siding installed after 1973 is very unlikely to contain asbestos.