Asbestos shingles are relatively strong but brittle.
Asbestos siding what do asbestos shingles look like.
The front may have a grainy sandy texture.
The siding was made by combining cement with asbestos which is a naturally occurring mineral that is fibrous in nature and fireproof.
If they look old they might have asbestos fibers in them.
Cement asbestos wall shingles outside and not easily friable unless being demolished or cut with power tools.
See photos at asbestos siding in this document.
The bottom of an asbestos siding tile may have a wave like pattern though not always.
Look for a siding that is made to look like roof shingles.
Determine when the shingles were installed on your roof.
Asbestos is a natural fibrous mineral used for insulation and fireproofing.
This is the most common pattern used.
Most likely the shingles are in two sizes 12 inch or 24 inch.
Testing for positive id.
When the fibers become airborne they pose health concerns.
Asbestos shingles were so common during the 20th century that almost any shingles installed between 1920 and 1986 probably include asbestos.
A brief history of asbestos cement siding.
The portland cement binds asbestos fibers into a hard mass.
Asbestos cement was first developed in 1905 by the johns manville company who became one of the premier manufacturers of cement asbestos materials.
Old asbestos siding tiles may also have a wood grain texture like cedar.
You can t drive screws and nails through them without pre drilling.
Recognizing siding with asbestos.
Asbestos siding was manufactured to resemble many materials so it won t always look the same.
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.
If you don t know the age of the shingles inspect them for wear.
The best method for determining if a substance contains.
Covering old asbestos shingles with new siding may seem like an option too but it s not easy to do safely.
Asbestos cement is a mixture of portland cement reinforced with asbestos fibers.
Look for siding that looks like roof shingles.
And see asbestos cement siding for details about cement asbestos building siding its repair removal demolition or cover over.
Asbestos siding was manufactured to resemble many different materials so it doesn t always look the same.
It is usually brittle and the back may be black and have the appearance of tar paper.
If the asbestos material is in good shape and will not be disturbed do nothing.