Asbestos Singles Under Siding

Asbestos cement siding is very brittle and can be easily chipped cracked or broken.

Asbestos singles under siding.

The pieces are about 20 x 10. Asbestos cement can be dangerous if pulverized by sawing sanding breaking etc. The siding was made by combining cement with asbestos which is a naturally occurring mineral that is fibrous in nature and fireproof. Demolition requirements for cement asbestos siding vary by where you live.

You can t drive screws and nails through them without pre drilling. So whether the shingles. Instead cover the shingles with polystyrene foam insulation panels then hang the new vinyl siding using 2 in long nails. This way you ll avoid the hazardous dust created by tearing the shingles off.

Covering old asbestos shingles with new siding may seem like an option too but it s not easy to do safely. It is very brittle and has a tendency to crack and break when nailed which can release asbestos fibers into both the air and ground. Asbestos is an older material that was commonly used in siding and insulation for houses. Exposure to and breathing asbestos fibers can result in lung problems and cancer.

In some locations a costly and arduous asbestos air monitoring as well as special demolition methods may be required wetting for example and the material is disposed of in a hazmat waste sit. But damaging the shingles can release some of the fibers. Removing asbestos is often cost prohibitive for most people. In other communities the material is removed and hauled to a landfill.

It was a very effective insulation but it has the unfortunate side effect of causing cancer. It has two layers of siding on it. Siding shingles are nonfriable because the asbestos fibers are held in place by a cement binder in the shingles. Asbestos siding is composed of asbestos fibers mixed with portland cement.

The use of asbestos siding shingles was a popular one that was used in the us from the early part of the 20th century until the 1970s. The most common and least expensive solution is to leave the original asbestos shingles in place and remove only the aluminum siding. The first layer is wood shakes some of which are rotten and termite damaged. Alternatively if you leave the asbestos on your home you can safely seal the old siding underneath the new siding and because asbestos is an excellent insulator you will actually be adding to the energy efficiency of your home by leaving it on.

Over that wood layer is asbestos siding. It has also been used extensively in fiber cement siding which can make applying a top coat of exterior paint a stressful event.