Asphalt Siding Asbestos

A brief history of asbestos cement siding.

Asphalt siding asbestos.

Testing your siding for asbestos. These shingles are generally 12 by 24 inches and the bottom tends to have a wave like pattern though that is not always the case. 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. The siding may also contain asbestos if it is old with a wood grain texture to resemble cedar.

Use a flat pry bar to remove the asbestos siding or roofing material starting from the top. Determine when the shingles were installed on your roof. Asphalt or cement roofing and siding that contain asbestos when intact and in good condition are generally considered nonfriable and are not hazardous. It is very difficult to remove spray paint graffiti without also dissolving or discoloring some of the siding surface coating material itself.

If you don t know the age of the shingles inspect them for wear. Asphalt brick look siding tags. Roofing siding this old house has asphalt siding the type that comes in panels that measure about 18 x 28 inches designed to look like several courses of brick. Wet down the asbestos siding or roofing with a mixture of water and liquid soap in a pump up sprayer to limit dust.

Removing asbestos is often cost prohibitive for most people. Asphalt based roof shingle material on an organic paper mat or asphalt on hardboard siding products were later supplanted by cement asbestos siding shingles then aluminum siding and steel siding then currently by vinyl siding. If your siding fits either of these descriptions you should consider having it tested. Nonfriable means they cannot be broken up by hand pressure.

Keep the asbestos material that has been removed wet. 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. Asbestos shingles were so common during the 20th century that almost any shingles installed between 1920 and 1986 probably include asbestos. Asbestos cement was first developed in 1905 by the johns manville company who became one of the premier manufacturers of cement asbestos materials.

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. If they look old they might have asbestos fibers in them.