Asbestos Siding Appearance

It s pretty serious but according to health canada one of the world s leading sources of unbiased information on the subject if.

Asbestos siding appearance.

After completing the job make sure that your inspector tests the air in order to determine whether there is any residual asbestos around. Even a single airborne fiber of the most dangerous types of asbestos can eventually cause a particular form of lung cancer if inhaled. And make no mistake asbestos is dangerous. They also present a variegated appearance occasioned by a difference in the color of the various areas of the product.

Asbestos cement is a mixture of portland cement reinforced with asbestos fibers. It is generally very brittle and the back may be black and have the appearance of tar paper. It was immensely popular. 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.

A brief history of asbestos cement siding. Asbestos siding was made by adding asbestos a naturally occurring mineral to portland cement. During the removal of asbestos containing siding your professional will use safety masks and gloves as well as a hepa filtered vacuum to eliminate airborne toxins. Asbestos was used to make several exterior materials.

Roofing and siding shingles are among the most common materials to contain asbestos and will readily release fibers into the air if broken. Asbestos siding was all the rage in the early part of the 20th century. A demand has therefore sprung up for more or less ornamental asbestos cement siding and shingles which present a more pleasing appearance with a smooth surface to which dirt will not adhere. What beanie babies were to the 1990s asbestos siding was to the the 1930s.

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. Determine when the shingles were installed on your roof. As always keep children and pets away. If they look old they might have asbestos fibers in them.

Recognizing siding with asbestos. Look for a siding that is made to look like roof shingles. Asbestos siding was manufactured to resemble many different materials so it doesn t always look the same. If you don t know the age of the shingles inspect them for wear.

Asbestos cement was first developed in 1905 by the johns manville company who became one of the premier manufacturers of cement asbestos materials. Most older cement board products contain asbestos. Asbestos was also put into cement used on the exterior of buildings to help insulate the. The portland cement binds asbestos fibers into a hard mass.

If you are one of the folks whose house got dressed up with asbestos siding back in the day all is not lost. Asbestos shingles were so common during the 20th century that almost any shingles installed between 1920 and 1986 probably include asbestos. Well maybe it wasn t quite the same but you get the idea.