Asbestos Asphalt Shingle Siding

From the 1940 s to perhaps the early 1970 s it was popular to cover peeling wood clapboard buildings with this durable material.

Asbestos asphalt shingle 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. Manufactured from a mix of asbestos fibers and hydraulic cement asbestos cement roof shingles were rigid durable and fireproof. Weatherside is even resistant to warping denting rotting expansion contraction and termite infiltration. Asphalt based roof shingle material on an organic paper mat or asphalt on hardboard siding products were later supplanted by cement asbestos siding shingles then aluminum siding and steel siding then currently by vinyl siding.

Because of its fire resistant properties asbestos was common in many home materials including roofing shingles. Unlike some of the original siding shingles that it replaces weatherside pre primed siding shingles contain no asbestos. Asbestos was used in asphalt based roofing products such as asphalt roofing or siding shingles in north america as early as 1891 and continued into the early 1980 s. It is very difficult to remove spray paint graffiti without also dissolving or discoloring some of the siding surface coating material itself.

Nonfriable means they cannot be broken up by hand pressure. You can t drive screws and nails through them without pre drilling. Paper like vapor barriers can present more of a hazard since they are considered friable. It s easy to install after properly removing the old siding simply nail the weatherside siding in place and paint.

Asbestos cement siding is very brittle and can be easily chipped cracked or broken. They would not warp or rot and were resistant to damage caused by insects. Some asphalt siding may contain asbestos in the asphalt impregnated felt backer or asbestos may also be in the asphalt impregnated paper tar paper or felt used as a house wrap under the siding. The national emissions standards for hazardous air pollutants neshap identifies several asphalt containing roofing products that may also contain asbestos including.

Let the siding dry then prime and paint with the best exterior latex you can find. Covering old asbestos shingles with new siding may seem like an option too but it s not easy to do safely. However asbestos fibers can cause serious lung and respiratory problems if inhaled. Shingles placed on a roof before the mid 1980s might contain asbestos.

The building shown at left located in hughsonville ny using the thatch edged shingle siding style is almost certainly sided with asbestos cement shingles.