Asbestos Siding I

The epa asbestos web site contains general information on asbestos sources exposure and health effects what to do if you suspect asbestos training and laws and regulations.

Asbestos siding i.

The portland cement binds asbestos fibers into a hard mass. If you re looking to replace a few of the asbestos shingles on your home various manufacturers today make a fiber cement replacement product that looks exactly like older asbestos shingles. A brief history of asbestos cement 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.

Asbestos siding was manufactured to resemble many different materials so it doesn t always look the same. Asbestos siding is composed of asbestos fibers mixed with portland cement. Asbestos is a natural fibrous mineral used for insulation and fireproofing. When the fibers become airborne they pose health concerns.

However fixer uppers and older homes with their original siding may still contain this dangerous material. Asbestos siding was made by adding asbestos a naturally occurring mineral to portland cement. Asbestos cement was first developed in 1905 by the johns manville company who became one of the premier manufacturers of cement asbestos materials. Asbestos cement is a mixture of portland cement reinforced with asbestos fibers.

And make no mistake asbestos is dangerous. If your asbestos siding is largely in excellent condition and you decide to keep it you may only a few pieces that are chipped or broken to replace. It s pretty serious but according to health canada one of the world s leading sources of unbiased information on the subject if. Asbestos siding was very commonly used in buildings and homes from around the 1920s until the 1980s and can still be found in many older homes in the u s.

Most homes built after the 1980s no longer use siding that contains asbestos because of its obvious health risks. That cement was then pressed into siding shingles that came in a wide. Even a single airborne fiber of the most dangerous types of asbestos can eventually cause a particular form of lung cancer if inhaled. Asbestos siding removal is a thankless yet often unnecessary task.

The issue here is asbestos and the risks of serious lung diseases it can cause. 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.