Asbestos Cement Tile Siding

Asbestos cement siding was a commonly used building material in the us and canada from the early to mid late 20th century roughly from the 1920s to the 1980s.

Asbestos cement tile siding.

A common remodeling practice is to install new vinyl or aluminum siding over cement asbestos shingle siding as well as over many other older siding materials when the old siding has become damaged leaky or cosmetically ugly. Covering old asbestos shingles with new siding may seem like an option too but it s not easy to do safely. Recognizing siding with asbestos. Asbestos cement siding is very brittle and can be easily chipped cracked or broken.

Asbestos cement siding is very common in older homes as it was used widely due to its durability and resistance to fire. You can t drive screws and nails through them without pre drilling. 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 continuing later in some other countries. A hardened mixture of asbestos fibers portland cement and water used in relatively thin slabs for shingles wallboard and siding asbestos siding was first introduced into the us in the early 1900 s by austrian engineer ludwid hatschek.

Asbestos is a natural fibrous mineral used for insulation and fireproofing. Asbestos siding is composed of asbestos fibers mixed with portland cement. A typical procedure is to install furring strips on the existing wall avoiding breaking the existing siding. The use of a pressure washer for maintenance can crack the siding and lead to moisture intrusion if the pressure setting is high enough.

Asbestos cement can be dangerous if pulverized by sawing sanding breaking etc. Exposure to and breathing asbestos fibers can result in lung problems and cancer. Let the siding dry then prime and paint with the best exterior latex you can find. While most siding containing asbestos has been removed from public buildings due to health concerns it may still be present on some older buildings and homes.

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. It is available in a variety of sizes and shapes to match many of the old siding shingles installed over the last 60 years. It is available in a variety of sizes and shapes to match many of the old siding shingles installed over the last 60 years. Weatherside fiber cement siding is the one and only solution for replacing or repairing old asbestos siding shingles.

Asbestos shingles are relatively strong but brittle.