How To Tell If A House Has Asbestos Siding

Asbestos in sound deadening products has been documented by patent search.

How to tell if a house has asbestos siding.

It is generally very brittle and the back may be black and have the appearance of tar paper. In a house that was built in that era if it did have asbestos it would most likely be an asbestos tile. Asbestos cement siding is very brittle and can be easily chipped cracked or broken. Also look around the siding roofing and soffit materials for small dimples or shallow craters on the surface which are signs of asbestos.

Plus there may be an increased health risk if fibers are released so don t try to handle it or get a sample of it yourself. Asbestos siding was manufactured to resemble many different materials so it doesn t always look the same. Asbestos ranks high on the list of dangerous substances because of its toxic and carcinogenic properties when airborne. The use of a pressure washer for maintenance can crack the siding and lead to moisture intrusion if the pressure setting is high enough.

While older homes will likely contain asbestos in roofing insulation and tiles it can also be present in exterior siding. Identifying asbestos siding 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. 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. And typically that s made of wood or a composite.

Patent 1 865 677 issued july 5 1932. Efflorescence chalking can commonly be seen on asbestos siding. Once you know about asbestos you can t go back. Look for a siding that is made to look like roof shingles.

See asbestos cement siding for more details about cement asbestos building siding its repair removal demolition or cover over. Recognizing siding with asbestos. Well i think he s calling he s talking about clapboard which is like a horizontal 6 inch siding. However you re not legally obligated to do anything about asbestos in your home.

Since asbestos is a fibrous material you can t simply look at a material and know it contains asbestos. Unless the asbestos in your home is damaged it doesn t pose any threat to inhabitants. If you suspect that your siding may contain asbestos there is no need for alarm. Asbestos cement can be dangerous if pulverized by sawing sanding breaking etc.

To determine if your building has asbestos check areas where the material was most commonly used like the roof bathroom and basement. It s not usually that style made of asbestos.