How Do You Know If You Have Asbestos Siding

If you are testing fiber cement shingles on an older building for asbestos content be sure that you select for testing one of the older shingles installed before 1978.

How do you know if you have asbestos siding.

Else you may miss asbestos containing material on the building. Asbestos shingles are relatively strong but brittle. You can t drive screws and nails through them without pre drilling. 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 testing always test first to see if you actually have asbestos in your shingles or siding as many manufacturers made similar looking cement siding that in fact contains no asbestos whatsoever. They ll take fingernail sized samples and test them in a laboratory. Asbestos wasn t always added to cement siding and there s no way to tell from a visual test or physical inspection on site if siding really does have asbestos in it. While older homes will likely contain asbestos in roofing insulation and tiles it can also be present in exterior siding.

Asbestos siding is composed of asbestos fibers mixed with portland cement. If you suspect that your siding may contain asbestos there is no need for alarm. Asbestos cement siding is very brittle and can be easily chipped cracked or broken. Asbestos cement can be dangerous if pulverized by sawing sanding breaking etc.

Covering old asbestos shingles with new siding may seem like an option too but it s not easy to do safely. The only way to be sure if your siding has asbestos in it is to collect a sample and send it to an accredited testing lab. Let the siding dry then prime and paint with the best exterior latex you can find. So any older building could contain a mix of asbestos and non asbestos cement shingle siding.

The date of the building or material can also tell you a lot about asbestos risk. 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. Buildings made between the 1940s and the 1980s are very likely to have used asbestos materials. Many manufacturers made their products to look like asbestos free products so it is not really possible to determine if your siding contains asbestos just by looks.

Check the manufacturer and product name on the insulation label and do a web search to find out if it contains asbestos. Exposure to and breathing asbestos fibers can result in lung problems and cancer. 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. Some states offer free testing for residents while others charge a nominal fee of 20 or less for testing services.

Look online for a lab near you to have a test performed on your siding and ensure the safety of your home and family.