How To Spot Asbestos Siding

As the experts at asbestos siding note it is sometimes difficult to spot because it was often manufactured to resemble different types of siding in a variety of colors and textures.

How to spot asbestos siding.

There is simply no manner of telling without testing. 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. Look for a siding that is made to look like roof shingles. It s found in loose fill attic and wall insulation and there s also asbestos in stucco siding.

Asbestos siding was manufactured to resemble many different materials so it doesn t always look the same. Look specifically for any printed information that identifies the siding manufacturer or date of. Check the manufacturer and product name on the insulation label and do a web search to find out if. Identifying possible asbestos materials 1.

Just to make things more complicated asbestos siding doesn t always look the same. Look specifically for any printed. While an expert lab test using polarized light microscopy may be needed to identify the specific type of asbestos fiber or to identify the presence of asbestos in air or dust samples many asbestos containing building products not only are obvious and easy to recognize but since there were not other look alike products that were not asbestos a visual identification of this material can be virtually a certainty in many cases. The nails used to secure the shingles probably won t help.

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. Asbestos shingles were so common during the 20th century that almost any shingles installed between 1920 and 1986 probably include asbestos. It is generally very brittle and the back may be black and have the appearance of tar paper. You can look at asbestos pictures and photos of products containing asbestos all day without learning to identify it.

Some homes have vermiculite attic insulation that contains asbestos. The presence of old dirty demotion materials may suggest that old asbestos cement shingles have been removed from the. 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. If you don t know the age of the shingles inspect them for wear.

On the outside of buildings asbestos sheets were often joined together with aluminum runners. Are there several layers of siding wall cladding extending out past the original door trim or window trim could be an indication of several layers of siding the one behind is likely containing asbestos since it was such a popular material previously. If they look old they might have asbestos fibers in them.