Does Cement Board Siding Contain Asbestos

Testing your siding for asbestos.

Does cement board siding contain asbestos.

Asbestos was used to make several exterior materials. Although some of the earlier versions of fiber cement siding did indeed have some asbestos particles blended in fiber cement was actually designed to replace the asbestos siding products to create a safer environment for the installers and the. Roofing and siding shingles are among the most common materials to contain asbestos and will readily release fibers into the air if broken. Complete details about asbestos cement history composition products and hazards are found.

Asbestos cement roof ing is described just below and cement wallboard and cement siding containing asbestos are described later in this document. Fiber cement siding does not contain asbestos. While older homes will likely contain asbestos in roofing insulation and tiles it can also be present in exterior siding. Cement asbestos siding tiles do not need to be removed simply because they contain asbestos.

Fiber cement siding is long lasting and low maintenance not everlasting and maintenance free. If you suspect that your siding may contain asbestos there is no need for alarm. Most older cement board products contain asbestos. And cement asbestos board siding as well as undersheeting.

The siding may also contain asbestos if it is old with a wood grain texture to resemble cedar. Cement asbestos board siding. Patent 2 818 824 issued january 7 1958. Fiber cement siding is sometimes confused with asbestos cement siding a shingle format type of siding widely used in the first half of the 20th century and which has since been discontinued.

There is no legal requirement to do so nor is there significant real estate benefit. Remember asbestos is a problem only if fibers are released to the air. This patent describing rolled asbestos cement board or shingle siding illustrates the characteristic and popular wood grain like embossed finished surface on these products. Asbestos was also put into cement used on the exterior of buildings to help insulate the.

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. Installing vinyl siding will require disturbing the asbestos by nailing into it. Unless cement asbestos board siding is being disturbed it will not release asbestos fibers. Hence the safest easiest and least expensive option may be to leave it.

Asbestos ranks high on the list of dangerous substances because of its toxic and carcinogenic properties when airborne. These materials are known as fiber cement siding and they contain no asbestos. If your siding contains asbestos are you sure you really want to remove it. Cementitious siding installed after 1973 is very unlikely to contain asbestos.

Unless asbestos siding is disturbed it doesn t pose a significant health hazard and does not need to be removed.