Identifying Asbestos Siding

Look specifically for any printed information that identifies the siding manufacturer or date of installation.

Identifying asbestos siding.

What does asbestos siding look like and how to identify it. Step 3 look for asbestos cement shingles a mixture of asbestos fibers and cement or asbestos cement corrugated roofing which is thicker and more often found on old sheds barns and low income housing. 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. Look for a siding that is made to look like roof shingles.

It is ususally in a shingle shake form 12 x24. Roofing adhesives roofing felt and base flashing also might include asbestos. While an expert lab test using polarized light microscopy may be needed to identify the specific type of asbestos fiber or to identify the presence of asbestos in air or dust samples many asbestos containing building products not only are obvious and easy to recognize but since there were not other look alike products that were not asbestos a visual identification of this material can be virtually a certainty in many cases. Identifying asbestos siding is impossible unless you have a sample tested in a lab.

Asbestos was also put into cement used on the exterior of buildings to help insulate the. Since asbestos was included as an additive when siding was manufactured for many decades the odds are good that original shingle siding on holder homes may contain asbestos. Asbestos was used to make several exterior materials. However there are some different things you can be looking for to figure out if it contains it or not at least when it comes to shingles.

Asbestos siding was made by adding asbestos a naturally occurring mineral to portland cement. It can be hard to just visually be able to identify if a material contains asbestos or not since there s not a specific thing that it looks like. Most siding created after the 1960s did not include asbestos. How to identify asbestos siding.

It does have some characteristics too look for. Recognizing siding with asbestos asbestos siding was manufactured to resemble many different materials so it doesn t always look the same. Most older cement board products contain asbestos. It may be smooth or have a pressed wood grain pattern on the surface of the board.

The only true way to identify asbestos siding is to have it tested. Determine the age of your home by looking at the property deed or any other records about its construction. It is generally very brittle and the back may be black and have the appearance of tar paper. If you suspect that your siding may contain asbestos there is no need for alarm.

While older homes will likely contain asbestos in roofing insulation and tiles it can also be present in exterior siding.