How To Tell If Siding Is Asbestos

You may choose to take a sample of siding from a damaged area of siding.

How to tell if siding is asbestos.

Asbestos cement can be dangerous if pulverized by sawing sanding breaking etc. They can make educated guesses and may often be proven right but the only way to be sure is to have a sample of your siding tested for asbestos. If your siding has these characteristics then asbestos could be present. Asbestos cement siding is very brittle and can be easily chipped cracked or broken.

The use of a pressure washer for maintenance can crack the siding and lead to moisture intrusion if the pressure setting is high enough. If you don t know the age of the shingles inspect them for wear. Determine when the shingles were installed on your roof. 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.

They then send the samples to a qualified laboratory to test and determine whether they contain asbestos. Also look around the siding roofing and soffit materials for small dimples or shallow craters on the surface which are signs of asbestos. And typically that s made of wood or a composite. Asbestos shingles were so common during the 20th century that almost any shingles installed between 1920 and 1986 probably include asbestos.

And i didn t know if the lap board if it had asbestos in it or not. Put on a mask and scrape away some siding material into a baggie. Well i think he s calling he s talking about clapboard which is like a horizontal 6 inch siding. The asbestos network recommends bringing in a professional to collect samples.

The only way to be sure whether your siding contains asbestos is to have it tested. It s not usually that style made of asbestos. We found this cement asbestos siding debris on the ground around a home that boasted new vinyl siding. The siding may also contain asbestos if it is old with a wood grain texture to resemble cedar.

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. The presence of multiple layers of exterior siding can be spotted by noticing that the wall cladding extends out past the original window or door trim. Testing your siding for asbestos if your siding fits either of these descriptions you should consider having it tested. Asbestos was particularly prevalent in siding that resembles shingles or was made to look like wood grain.

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