How To Know If You Have Asbestos Siding

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.

How to know if you have asbestos siding.

After completing the job make sure that your inspector tests the air in order to determine whether there is any residual asbestos around. Recognizing siding with asbestos. It is generally very brittle and the back may be black and have the appearance of tar paper. Asbestos cement siding is very brittle and can be easily chipped cracked or broken.

That s called a cement asbestos tile because the asbestos is inside of a cement binder. It is difficult. During the removal of asbestos containing siding your professional will use safety masks and gloves as well as a hepa filtered vacuum to eliminate airborne toxins. So if it s not a tile then it s not likely to be asbestos.

If they look old they might have asbestos fibers in them. If you don t know the age of the shingles inspect them for wear. The use of a pressure washer for maintenance can crack the siding and lead to moisture intrusion if the pressure. Look for a siding that is made to look like roof shingles.

Asbestos cement can be dangerous if pulverized by sawing sanding breaking etc. 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. Determine when the shingles were installed on your roof. Asbestos shingles were so common during the 20th century that almost any shingles installed between 1920 and 1986 probably include asbestos.

In a house that was built in that era if it did have asbestos it would most likely be an asbestos tile.