Is It Asbestos Siding

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.

Is it asbestos siding.

Asbestos siding was manufactured to resemble many different materials so it doesn t always look the same. Asbestos only poses a health risk when the fibers are airborne and friable which in the case of asbestos siding only occurs if the siding is actively sawed or broken into many smaller pieces. 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 before 1978 and sided with cementious shingles. 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 than remove it.

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. Most cases of mesothelioma asbestosis and other asbestos related diseases involve workers who are exposed to high levels of airborne asbestos fibers over long periods of time. If you suspect that your siding may contain asbestos there is no need for alarm.

Most siding companies are well experienced at techniques for covering over existing asbestos cement siding with new vinyl aluminum or fiber cement siding. Scraping or brushing off old paint from asbestos siding is necessary before repainting but dangerous because it can release small asbestos fibres the approach of removing the old shingles and replacing them with new siding is an option that many homeowners have pursued though probably not as safely as they should. Look for a siding that is made to look like roof shingles. Asbestos is a natural fibrous mineral used for insulation and fireproofing.

Asbestos is an excellent electrical insulator and is highly heat. When the fibers become airborne they pose health concerns. 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. Care and proper procedures should always be taken during removal and disposal but in general asbestos siding ranks very low on the list of materials that contain asbestos as far as danger and health risks.

Recognizing siding with asbestos. æ s ˈ b ɛ s t ə s or æ s ˈ b ɛ s t ɒ s is a term used to refer to six naturally occurring silicate minerals all are composed of long and thin fibrous crystals each fibre being composed of many microscopic fibrils that can be released into the atmosphere by abrasion and other processes.