How To Tell If Asbestos Siding

Older style cement siding shingles were traditionally made by mixing asbestos into the cement in order to fireproof and strengthen siding.

How to tell if asbestos siding.

Just to make things more complicated asbestos siding doesn t always look the same. The only way to be sure if your siding has asbestos in it is to collect a sample and send it to an accredited testing lab. Contractors and inspectors or anyone identifying asbestos siding can t tell from just an on site inspection whether or not your siding really has asbestos in it. Asbestos shingles were so common during the 20th century that almost any shingles installed between 1920 and 1986 probably include asbestos.

As the experts at asbestos siding note it is sometimes difficult to spot because it was often manufactured to resemble different types of siding in a variety of colors and textures. Look for a siding that is made to look like roof shingles. It s not usually that style made of asbestos. The age of an home or the siding on it isn t.

And typically that s made of wood or a composite. And i didn t know if the lap board if it had asbestos in it or not. It is generally very brittle and the back may be black and have the appearance of tar paper. Are there several layers of siding wall cladding extending out past the original door trim or window trim could be an indication of several layers of siding the one behind is likely containing asbestos since it was such a popular material previously.

Well i think he s calling he s talking about clapboard which is like a horizontal 6 inch siding. Asbestos siding was manufactured to resemble many different materials so it doesn t always look the same. Determine when the shingles were installed on your roof.