How To Spot Asbestos Siding

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.

How to spot asbestos siding. On the outside of buildings asbestos sheets were often joined together with aluminum runners. Older style cement siding shingles were traditionally made by mixing asbestos into the cement in order to fireproof and strengthen siding. The presence of multiple layers of exterior siding can be spotted by noticing that the wall cladding extends out past. 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.

As the experts at asbestos siding note it is sometimes difficult to spot because it was often manufactured to resemble different types of siding in a variety of colors and textures. Asbestos shingles were so common during the 20th century that almost any shingles installed between 1920 and 1986 probably include asbestos. Identifying possible asbestos materials 1. It s found in loose fill attic and wall insulation and there s also asbestos in stucco siding.

Look specifically for any printed. Just to make things more complicated asbestos siding doesn t always look the same. Check the manufacturer and product name on the insulation label and do a web search to find out if. Look for a siding that is made to look like roof shingles.

There is simply no manner of telling without testing. The nails used to secure the shingles probably won t help. Are there several layers of siding wall cladding extending out past the original door trim or window trim could be an indication of several layers of siding the one behind is likely containing asbestos since it was such a popular material previously. If they look old they might have asbestos fibers in them.

The presence of old dirty demotion materials may suggest that old asbestos cement shingles have been removed from the. How to identify asbestos siding determine the age of your home by looking at the property deed or any other records about its construction. If you don t know the age of the shingles inspect them for wear. You can look at asbestos pictures and photos of products containing asbestos all day without learning to identify it.

It is generally very brittle and the back may be black and have the appearance of tar paper. Asbestos siding was manufactured to resemble many different materials so it doesn t always look the same. Look specifically for any printed information that identifies the siding manufacturer or date of.