Asbestos Siding Facts

Asbestos siding was made by adding asbestos a naturally occurring mineral to portland cement.

Asbestos siding facts.

When the asbestos siding on a house becomes damaged consultation and inspection with a licensed asbestos removal and repair contractor is necessary before proceeding. The epa asbestos web site contains general information on asbestos sources exposure and health effects what to do if you suspect asbestos training and laws and regulations. It is versatile because it can withstand extreme heat and chemical actions. The danger is that when asbestos begins to break down it releases fibers into the air.

The use of asbestos in roofing and siding materials has declined rapidly since the early 1980s. Dispose of the asbestos properly at a landfill or contact your local waste collection service to find out if they will pick up asbestos material. Siding shingles were made from asbestos as well as roofing insulation brake linings and fireproofing material. In the past asbestos fibers were added during the production of roofing and siding materials to strengthen them to increase their durability and to provide a limited amount of insulation and fireproofing to your home.

These fibers are resistant to heat fire and chemicals and do not conduct electricity. Asbestos is magnesium silicate in the form of a fibrous mineral. Scraping or brushing off old paint from asbestos siding is necessary before repainting but dangerous because it can release small asbestos fibres the approach of removing the old shingles and replacing them with new siding is an option that many homeowners have pursued though probably not as safely as they should. The resulting product was very durable fire resistant and absorbed paint well.

So long as the asbestos fibers are not loose the siding should be repairable but in some cases it may need to be removed which can be a costly endeavor. However there are older homes built before the 1970s in which asbestos was used in the siding roofing and insulation materials. Wrap asbestos siding in 6 mil thick plastic sheeting and secure the plastic with duct tape or place the debris in heavy duty plastic bags. 1 2018 the ohio department of health s asbestos program transferred to the ohio epa.

Asbestos is the name given to six minerals that occur naturally in the environment as bundles of fibers that can be separated into thin durable threads for use in commercial and industrial applications. The material was banned in the 1980s as a known carcinogen. That cement was then pressed into siding shingles that came in a wide variety of sizes profiles and textures.