Asbestos Sheet Siding

While older homes will likely contain asbestos in roofing insulation and tiles it can also be present in exterior siding.

Asbestos sheet siding.

Exposure to and breathing asbestos fibers can result in lung problems and cancer. Asbestos siding was first introduced into the us in the early 1900 s by austrian engineer ludwid hatschek. He discovered how asbestos could help reinforce thin shingles made from cement. Asbestos ranks high on the list of dangerous substances because of its toxic and carcinogenic properties when airborne.

From about the 1920 s until the 1970 s hundreds of thousands if not millions of homes were built using asbestos cement siding. Asbestos cement can be dangerous if pulverized by sawing sanding breaking etc. Cementious siding and roofing such as fiber cement siding lap siding and fiber cement roof shingles containing asbestos may then have appeared on homes constructed between 1906 and 1980 in north america and continuing later in some other countries. 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.

Asbestos flatsheet because fibrous cement is much more water resistant than drywall flat sheets of asbestos cement found their way into the interiors of homes and businesses as walls and underlayment for flooring. Corrugated asbestos sheets were used in the roofing and siding of all types of buildings especially in factories and farms. The use of a pressure washer for maintenance can crack the siding and lead to moisture intrusion if the pressure. It is difficult.