How To Tell If Asbestos Siding

You may choose to take a sample of siding from a damaged area of siding.

How to tell if asbestos siding.

Determine when the shingles were installed on your roof. It does have some characteristics too look for. Asbestos siding was manufactured to resemble many different materials so it doesn t always look the same. Asbestos shingles were so common during the 20th century that almost any shingles installed between 1920 and 1986 probably include asbestos.

If you suspect that your siding may contain asbestos there is no need for alarm. Roofing and siding shingles are among the most common materials to contain asbestos and will readily release fibers into the air if broken. 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. Put on a mask and scrape away some siding material into a baggie.

Layers of paint or finish coatings. While older homes will likely contain asbestos in roofing insulation and tiles it can also be present in exterior siding. 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 they look old they might have asbestos fibers in them.

Continue reading below our video of the day. Asbestos ranks high on the list of dangerous substances because of its toxic and carcinogenic properties when airborne. Asbestos was also put into cement used on the exterior of buildings to help insulate the. Asbestos was used to make several exterior materials.

The only true way to identify asbestos siding is to have it tested. Asbestos cement can be dangerous if pulverized by sawing sanding breaking etc. Asbestos cement siding is very brittle and can be easily chipped cracked or broken. If your siding has these characteristics then asbestos could be present.

Asbestos was particularly prevalent in siding that resembles shingles or was made to look like wood grain. It may be smooth or have a pressed wood grain pattern on the surface of the board. It is ususally in a shingle shake form 12 x24. Age or date of installation.

Inspect exterior building materials. If you don t know the age of the shingles inspect them for wear. Installed before 1978 the fiber cement shingles probably contain asbestos. The use of a pressure washer for maintenance can crack the siding and lead to moisture intrusion if the pressure setting is high enough.