How To Tell If Asbestos Siding

Inspect exterior building materials.

How to tell if asbestos siding.

Asbestos was also put into cement used on the exterior of buildings to help insulate the. Asbestos ranks high on the list of dangerous substances because of its toxic and carcinogenic properties when airborne. The original shingles of both asbestos cement and fiber cement usually come from the factory painted white on one side. Asbestos shingles were so common during the 20th century that almost any shingles installed between 1920 and 1986 probably include asbestos.

If you don t know the age of the shingles inspect them for wear. Determine when the shingles were installed on your roof. It is ususally in a shingle shake form 12 x24. Look for a siding that is made to look like roof shingles.

If you suspect that your siding may contain asbestos there is no need for alarm. Continue reading below our video of the day. Asbestos was particularly prevalent in siding that resembles shingles or was made to look like wood grain. Layers of paint or finish coatings.

You may choose to take a sample of siding from a damaged area of siding. Age or date of installation. If your siding has these characteristics then asbestos could be present. It is generally very brittle and the back may be black and have the appearance of tar paper.

While older homes will likely contain asbestos in roofing insulation and tiles it can also be present in exterior siding. If they look old they might have asbestos fibers in them. The use of a pressure washer for maintenance can crack the siding and lead to moisture intrusion if the pressure setting is high enough. It may be smooth or have a pressed wood grain pattern on the surface of the board.

It does have some characteristics too look for. Contractors and inspectors or anyone identifying asbestos siding can t tell from just an on site inspection whether or not your siding really has asbestos in it. Asbestos siding was manufactured to resemble many different materials so it doesn t always look the same. Roofing and siding shingles are among the most common materials to contain asbestos and will readily release fibers into the air if broken.

Installed before 1978 the fiber cement shingles probably contain asbestos. Asbestos was used to make several exterior materials. Asbestos cement siding is very brittle and can be easily chipped cracked or broken. Put on a mask and scrape away some siding material into a baggie.