Asbestos Cement Siding Shingles

Asbestos shingles are relatively strong but.

Asbestos cement siding shingles.

Asbestos cement roofing siding history dates codes patents give a history of cement asbestos siding roofing product use. Asbestos cement roofing shingles and siding products are not likely to release asbestos fibers unless sawed dilled or cut. A brief history of asbestos cement siding. It is available in a variety of sizes and shapes to match many of the old siding shingles installed over the last 60 years.

Asbestos cement is a mixture of portland cement reinforced with asbestos fibers. Those same asbestos fibers that were being added. In the early 1920s american roofing material manufacturers johns mansville carey eternit and century were all offering at least one asbestos cement roofing shingle to their customers. Asbestos health concerns unfortunately though there was a lurking problem with asbestos that took decades to confirm.

Asbestos was added to the cement because of its fire retardant properties as well as to add strength and durability to the siding shingles as well as insulating capacity. We include research articles as well as patent citations that help trace the use of asbestos cement in and on buildings from the late 1800 s to the present. Weatherside fiber cement siding is the 1 and weatherside fiber cement siding is the 1 and only solution for replacing or repairing old asbestos siding shingles. Lead paint wasn t outlawed until 1978 so it s sure to be present on siding going back to the 1950s.

This article gives a history of the production use of asbestos cement roofing siding products. If it is a problem there are two types of corrections. Because fiber cement siding manufactured in north america after around 1978 was made without using asbestos in those later products and because those non asbestos fiber cement shingles included products that by eye were an exact visual match for their older asbestos containing brothers and sisters already installed a building built. If the asbestos material is in good shape and will not be disturbed do nothing.

The use of asbestos cement roof shingles was growing at a steady rate in the united states. Covering old asbestos shingles with new siding may seem like an option too but it s not easy to do safely. Let the siding dry then prime and paint with the best exterior latex you can find. Asbestos cement was first developed in 1905 by the johns manville company who became one of the premier manufacturers of cement asbestos materials.

Repair and removal. The siding was made by combining cement with asbestos which is a naturally occurring mineral that is fibrous in nature and fireproof. The portland cement binds asbestos fibers into a hard mass.