How To Prepare Asbestos Siding For Paint

Preparation before coating is the key to a successful paint job.

How to prepare asbestos siding for paint. Apply a liquid sander solution by rolling on liberally with a paint roller and using clean rags to rub and smooth the surface. If you hire the job out painting asbestos siding doesn t require any special licensing as far as the contractor doing the work so you. Taking some extra time cleaning and prepping the siding before painting which is always recommended to remove dirt and mildew that may present is necessary. Use a water blaster for the large pieces and allow the siding to dry thoroughly.

Asbestos shingles are relatively strong but brittle. Let the siding dry then prime and paint with the best exterior latex you can find. When it comes to applying a long lasting coat of paint start with a 100 acrylic exterior latex primer followed by 100 exterior latex paint. Asbestos shingles hold paint very well when you use the right kind of coating.

Be sure to use both a primer and top coat that are recommended for use on cleaned fiber cement siding as recommended by the manfacturer of both the siding and the paint. Covering old asbestos shingles with new siding may seem like an option too but it s not easy to do safely. Since asbestos is only dangerous when it is in a friable state you will remove the paint without sanding or scraping. You ll need to consult an asbestos expert to discuss removal and disposal.

You can t drive screws and nails through them without pre drilling. Compared to other similar hardie board or fiber cement siding there is not much difference in terms of painting asbestos siding after you prepped and cleaned the surface. Normally you d scrap down the old paint from your siding but doing that with asbestos can release dangerous particles into the air. Prepping your asbestos siding for repainting requires a lighter touch one involving lots of water to prevent dust from wafting up around the shingles.

Here at top coat painters we dial down the pressure and use a 4 step process. Then be sure that the siding is dry before applying either primer or paint. They recommend that leaving the old shingles on is a safe choice though removal is a possibility too. We rinse with plain water to pre wet the surface and remove very loose dirt.