Asbestos Brick Siding

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

Asbestos brick siding.

Asbestos cement can be dangerous if pulverized by sawing sanding breaking etc. Houses clad in insulbrick can appear to be brick houses from a distance. It has been spelled insulbrick and other things. It is generally very brittle and the back may be black and have the appearance of tar paper.

Removing asbestos is often cost prohibitive for most people. It is very brittle and has a tendency to crack and break when nailed which can release asbestos fibers into both the air and ground. Let the siding dry then prime and paint with the best exterior latex you can find. Asbestos cement siding is very brittle and can be easily chipped cracked or broken.

Cementious siding and roofing such as fiber cement siding lap siding and fiber cement roof shingles containing asbestos may then have appeared on homes constructed between 1906 and 1980 in north america and contining later in some other countries. The use of a pressure washer for maintenance can crack the siding and lead to moisture intrusion if the pressure setting is high enough. It was widely used in the colder climates and can be seen on some older building. Fabrics that contained asbestos or were made entirely of asbestos were numerous and were used in a wide range of applications such as aluminized suits for fire fighters foundry workers and furnace repairmen.

Exposure to and breathing asbestos fibers can result in lung problems and cancer. Asbestos siding is composed of asbestos fibers mixed with portland cement. Inselbric is a trademarked name for a particular product sold by mastic. Look for a siding that is made to look like roof shingles.

As a rule tar paper and insulbrick were applied over wood siding. If you suspect that your siding may contain asbestos there is no need for alarm. Asbestos shingles are relatively strong but brittle. Insulbrick was the preferred choice for replacement siding until aluminum and vinyl siding became available in the late 1950s.

Asbestos ranks high on the list of dangerous substances because of its toxic and carcinogenic properties when airborne. Asphalt siding was available from the 1930s to about 1960. Lead paint wasn t outlawed until 1978 so it s sure to be present on siding going back to the 1950s. The mastic company then of south bend indiana developed inselbric asbestos siding in 1932.

Continue reading below our video of the day. Covering old asbestos shingles with new siding may seem like an option too but it s not easy to do safely.