However there are ways you can determine whether it is likely that your shingles contain asbestos.
How is asbestos siding made.
Asbestos siding was made by adding asbestos a naturally occurring mineral to portland cement.
And make no mistake asbestos is dangerous.
æ s ˈ b ɛ s t ə s or æ s ˈ b ɛ s t ɒ s is a term used to refer to six naturally occurring silicate minerals all are composed of long and thin fibrous crystals each fibre being composed of many microscopic fibrils that can be released into the atmosphere by abrasion and other processes.
Both the epa and the vinyl siding institute recommend not disturbing asbestos if at all possible.
Asbestos siding was very commonly used in buildings and homes from around the 1920s until the 1980s and can still be found in many older homes in the u s.
Installing vinyl siding will require disturbing the asbestos by nailing into it.
However asbestos fibers can cause serious lung and respiratory problems if inhaled.
Unless asbestos siding is disturbed it doesn t pose a significant health hazard and does not need to be removed.
It s pretty serious but according to health canada one of the world s leading sources of unbiased information on the subject if.
Even a single airborne fiber of the most dangerous types of asbestos can eventually cause a particular form of lung cancer if inhaled.
Asbestos was also put into cement used on the exterior of buildings to help insulate the.
Asbestos is an excellent electrical insulator and is highly heat.
Older style cement siding shingles were traditionally made by mixing asbestos into the cement in order to fireproof and strengthen siding.
Asbestos was used to make several exterior materials.
If a siding company removes an outer layer of siding and finds an older layer of asbestos cement siding beneath the standard procedure is simply to cover it over with new siding rather.
Asbestos siding removal isn t free but if you re having it replaced with something else you just might be able to get a good deal with the company you end up choosing.
The issue here is asbestos and the risks of serious lung diseases it can cause.
Roofing and siding shingles are among the most common materials to contain asbestos and will readily release fibers into the air if broken.
The reported costs for such projects range from 500 to 4 500 while the typical cost for asbestos siding removal is generally between 1 000 and 2 500.
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.
Most siding companies are well experienced at techniques for covering over existing asbestos cement siding with new vinyl aluminum or fiber cement siding.
