Home Asbestos Siding Characteristics

You may choose to take a sample of siding from a damaged area of siding.

Home asbestos siding characteristics. The areas asbestos is commonly found include. Instead it can be found throughout the home. Where can asbestos hazards be found in the home. Asbestos siding is a type of siding that was introduced in the 1920 s as a fire proof cladding for buildings and homes that could also resist rot and insects.

Asbestos shingles are relatively strong but brittle. Asbestos siding is composed of asbestos fibers mixed with portland cement. You can t drive screws and nails through them without pre drilling. Put on a mask and scrape away some siding material into a baggie.

Asbestos may be present in textured paint and in patching compounds used on wall and ceiling joints. Some roofing and siding shingles are made of asbestos cement. Most older cement board products contain asbestos. This would trigger dust and asbestos dust is a problem as i ve mentioned.

Asbestos was also put into cement used on the exterior of buildings to help insulate the. Exposure to and breathing asbestos fibers can result in lung problems and cancer. Houses built between 1930 and 1950 may have asbestos as insulation. 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.

Unless the asbestos in your home is damaged it doesn t pose any threat to inhabitants. Asbestos itself is actually a rock that has an fibrous makeup that looks a lot like hair or fur. Attic and wall insulation. Their use was banned in 1977.

Homes built between 1920 and the 1980s are likely to contain asbestos in any cementitious. Asbestos was particularly prevalent in siding that resembles shingles or was made to look like wood grain. With its strength and heat resistance asbestos is used in a variety of building construction materials prior to 1980 meaning there isn t one area of the home that it is typically in. Asbestos siding was a very popular product back in the 1950s and 1960s where siding shingles were traditionally reinforced with asbestos fibers.

There are some characteristics you can look for while trying to spot asbestos siding on your own such as. Once you know about asbestos you can t go back. Asbestos cement can be dangerous if pulverized by sawing sanding breaking etc. Roofing and siding shingles are among the most common materials to contain asbestos and will readily release fibers into the air if broken.

The use of a pressure washer for maintenance can crack the siding and lead to moisture intrusion if the pressure setting is high enough. Asbestos cement siding is very brittle and can be easily chipped cracked or broken. Asbestos was used to make several exterior materials. Covering old asbestos shingles with new siding may seem like an option too but it s not easy to do safely.