How Do I Know If My House Has Asbestos Siding

Check for tears abrasions or water damage.

How do i know if my house has asbestos siding.

Have an asbestos abatement contractor do it for you. Also look around the siding roofing and soffit materials for small dimples or shallow craters on the surface which are signs of asbestos. Even re siding over existing asbestos siding that is left in place requires approval and safe handling. You can t see or smell asbestos but exposure to loose fibers can cause lung disease such as mesothelioma asbestosis or lung cancer.

Although homes built after the 1980s are generally safe some newer builds may also have asbestos lurking in the siding. You can get exposed to asbestos if the building materials containing asbestos get damaged or broken in any way. The danger comes from asbestos material that has been damaged over time. According to the vinyl siding institute a national trade organization asbestos siding is a regulated material and the appropriate environmental agency or local building code official.

These shingles are generally 12 by 24 inches and the bottom tends to have a wave like pattern though that is not always the case. Vinyl flooring or sheeting. The siding may also contain asbestos if it is old with a wood grain texture to resemble cedar. If your siding fits either of these descriptions you should consider having it tested.

Asbestos wasn t always added to cement siding and there s no way to tell from a visual test or physical inspection on site if siding really does have asbestos in it. To determine if your building has asbestos check areas where the material was most commonly used like the roof bathroom and basement. If you suspect a part. How do i know if asbestos is in my house.

Identifying asbestos siding the only way to be sure if your siding has asbestos in it is to collect a sample and send it to an accredited testing lab. Determine when the shingles were installed on your roof. Just to make things more complicated asbestos siding doesn t always look the same. Most siding companies are well experienced at techniques for covering over existing asbestos cement siding with new vinyl aluminum or fiber cement siding.

Testing your siding for asbestos. Asbestos that crumbles easily if handled or that has been sawed scraped or sanded into a powder is likely to release asbestos fibers and create a health hazard. If a siding company removes an outer layer of siding and finds an older layer of asbestos cement siding beneath the standard procedure is simply to cover it over with new siding rather than remove it. Asbestos shingles were so common during the 20th century that almost any shingles installed between 1920 and 1986 probably include asbestos.

If you aren t sure about the exact composition of your siding you should check to make sure. Vinyl flooring tiles with millboard or paper were often made of asbestos. If you don t know the age of the shingles inspect them for wear. They ll take fingernail sized samples and test them in a laboratory.