Asbestos Asphalt Shingle Siding

Asphalt or cement roofing and siding that contain asbestos when intact and in good condition are generally considered nonfriable and are not hazardous.

Asbestos asphalt shingle siding.

It is very difficult to remove spray paint graffiti without also dissolving or discoloring some of the siding surface coating material itself. However asbestos fibers can cause serious lung and respiratory problems if inhaled. The use of a pressure washer for maintenance can crack the siding and lead to moisture intrusion if the pressure setting is high enough. It s easy to install after properly removing the old siding simply nail the weatherside siding in place and paint.

Let the siding dry then prime and paint with the best exterior latex you can find. Asbestos was used in asphalt based roofing products such as asphalt roofing or siding shingles in north america as early as 1891 and continued into the early 1980 s. Some asphalt siding may contain asbestos in the asphalt impregnated felt backer or asbestos may also be in the asphalt impregnated paper tar paper or felt used as a house wrap under the siding. You can t drive screws and nails through them without pre drilling.

From the 1940 s to perhaps the early 1970 s it was popular to cover peeling wood clapboard buildings with this durable material. Asbestos shingles are relatively strong but brittle. Shingles placed on a roof before the mid 1980s might contain asbestos. They would not warp or rot and were resistant to damage caused by insects.

Asbestos cement can be dangerous if pulverized by sawing sanding breaking etc. The national emissions standards for hazardous air pollutants neshap identifies several asphalt containing roofing products that may also contain asbestos including. Nonfriable means they cannot be broken up by hand pressure. Manufactured from a mix of asbestos fibers and hydraulic cement asbestos cement roof shingles were rigid durable and fireproof.

Covering old asbestos shingles with new siding may seem like an option too but it s not easy to do safely. Unlike some of the original siding shingles that it replaces weatherside pre primed siding shingles contain no asbestos. Paper like vapor barriers can present more of a hazard since they are considered friable. Weatherside is even resistant to warping denting rotting expansion contraction and termite infiltration.

Because of its fire resistant properties asbestos was common in many home materials including roofing shingles.