How To Tell If Asbestos Siding

The original shingles of both asbestos cement and fiber cement usually come from the factory painted white on one side.

How to tell if asbestos siding. Look for a siding that is made to look like roof shingles. Put on a mask and scrape away some siding material into a baggie. Continue reading below our video of the day. If you suspect that your siding may contain asbestos there is no need for alarm.

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 siding was manufactured to resemble many different materials so it doesn t always look the same. If your siding has these characteristics then asbestos could be present. 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.

The only true way to identify asbestos siding is to have it tested. It may be smooth or have a pressed wood grain pattern on the surface of the board. Asbestos was also put into cement used on the exterior of buildings to help insulate the. Asbestos was particularly prevalent in siding that resembles shingles or was made to look like wood grain.

Inspect exterior building materials. Determine when the shingles were installed on your roof. Installed before 1978 the fiber cement shingles probably contain asbestos. Asbestos was used to make several exterior materials.

Roofing and siding shingles are among the most common materials to contain asbestos and will readily release fibers into the air if broken. Asbestos ranks high on the list of dangerous substances because of its toxic and carcinogenic properties when airborne. It does have some characteristics too look for. Asbestos cement can be dangerous if pulverized by sawing sanding breaking etc.

It is ususally in a shingle shake form 12 x24. Asbestos cement siding is very brittle and can be easily chipped cracked or broken. Age or date of installation. If they look old they might have asbestos fibers in them.

While older homes will likely contain asbestos in roofing insulation and tiles it can also be present in exterior siding. The use of a pressure washer for maintenance can crack the siding and lead to moisture intrusion if the pressure setting is high enough. Layers of paint or finish coatings. It is generally very brittle and the back may be black and have the appearance of tar paper.