Old House Asbestos Siding

See photos at asbestos siding in this document.

Old house asbestos siding.

Layers of paint or finish coatings. Having asbestos in a house isn t dangerous or illegal but if it is damaged or begins to crumble it can post a health risk to those living in the home as well as anyone that visits. Cement asbestos wall shingles outside and not easily friable unless being demolished or cut with power tools. Let the siding dry then prime and paint with the best exterior latex you can find.

Asbestos siding was all the rage in the early part of the 20th century. Cementitious siding installed after 1973 is very unlikely to contain asbestos. Safely removing asbestos siding if you do decide to remove asbestos siding from your home the answer to is asbestos siding dangerous isn t necessarily yes. Well maybe it wasn t quite the same but you get the idea.

If it is intact and in good condition siding can be safely painted or new replacement siding can be installed over the old asbestos siding. These materials are known as fiber cement siding and they contain no asbestos. If you suspect that your siding may contain asbestos there is no need for alarm. The original shingles of both asbestos cement and fiber cement usually come from the factory painted white on one side.

In homes built prior to 1975 asbestos is most commonly found as thermal insulation on basement boilers and pipes. If you are one of the folks whose house got dressed up with asbestos siding back in the day all is not lost. We now know that prolonged exposure to asbestos fibers can lead to lung disease. It was immensely popular.

Knowing the facts about buying and selling a home with asbestos will allow you to make an educated decision on whether the decision is right for you. Installed before 1978 the fiber cement shingles probably contain asbestos. This article will help you determine whether there is asbestos in your siding and give you a few suggestions for dealing with it. Covering old asbestos shingles with new siding may seem like an option too but it s not easy to do safely.

Lead paint wasn t outlawed until 1978 so it s sure to be present on siding going back to the 1950s. Homes built between 1920 and the 1960s are likely to contain asbestos in any cementitious siding tiles. When disturbed tiny abrasive asbestos fibers are easily inhaled which damages lung tissue and can cause cancer. Dispose of the asbestos properly at a landfill or contact your local waste collection service to find out if they will pick up asbestos material.

While older homes will likely contain asbestos in roofing insulation and tiles it can also be present in exterior siding. Asbestos shingles are relatively strong but brittle. What beanie babies were to the 1990s asbestos siding was to the the 1930s.