Asbestos Old House Siding Types

Asbestos product photo guide.

Asbestos old house siding types.

Well maybe it wasn t quite the same but you get the idea. As the experts at asbestos siding note it is sometimes difficult to spot because it was often manufactured to resemble different types of siding in a variety of colors and textures. If you are one of the folks whose house got dressed up with asbestos siding back in the day all is not lost. Asbestos siding is a type of siding that was introduced in the 1920 s as a fire proof cladding for buildings and homes that could also resist rot and insects.

Older style cement siding shingles were traditionally made by mixing asbestos into the cement in order to fireproof and strengthen siding. We include photographs of a very wide range of examples of asbestos containing products materials. The health risks of asbestos have been known for many years since the early 1960s. Covering old asbestos shingles with new siding may seem like an option too but it s not easy to do safely.

You can see the earlier novelty wood siding at the area where there is missing and damaged asbestos siding. Many houses still have asbestos siding on their exteriors. Let the siding dry then prime and paint with the best exterior latex you can find. No level of exposure to asbestos is deemed safe although the people suffering from serious asbestos related diseases are usually those who have handled.

Asbestos siding was all the rage in the early part of the 20th century. Inhaled asbestos fibers have definitively been linked to a variety of lung diseases including asbestosis and different types of cancer such as mesothelioma. This article provides a photo guide to and list of asbestos containing products materials and links to detailed articles about individual asbestos containing products materials found in buildings and in a wide range of products used in both home and industry. Asbestos siding is very fragile in nature.

Because of the safety precautions necessary for repairing the damage or removing the siding it will be expensive. Asbestos itself is actually a rock that has an fibrous makeup that looks a lot like hair or fur. It was immensely popular. For further help in dealing with asbestos problems in the home contact your state s environmental affairs agency.

If handled properly asbestos can be prevented from ever causing a problem in your home. Asbestos siding was very popular product back in the 1950s and 1960s. Lead paint wasn t outlawed until 1978 so it s sure to be present on siding going back to the 1950s. This type of siding should to be painted every 5 to 7 years so it s not a maintenance free material like vinyl siding.

Because fiber cement siding manufactured in north america after around 1978 was made without using asbestos in those later products and because those non asbestos fiber cement shingles included products that by eye were an exact visual match for their older asbestos containing brothers and sisters already installed a building built. Only a professional trained to handle asbestos safely should undertake these repairs. With any type of repair the asbestos remains in place.