How To Tell If A Home Has Asbestos Siding

Here is everything you need to know about testing for asbestos the health hazards and how to safely remove it.

How to tell if a home has asbestos siding.

That s called a cement asbestos tile because the asbestos is inside of a cement binder. Contractors and inspectors or anyone identifying asbestos siding can t tell from just an on site inspection whether or not your siding really has asbestos in it. Also look around the siding roofing and soffit materials for small dimples or shallow craters on the surface which are signs of asbestos. In a house that was built in that era if it did have asbestos it would most likely be an asbestos tile.

Plus there may be an increased health risk if fibers are released so don t try to handle it or get a sample of it yourself. Look for a siding that is made to look like roof shingles. Do you have asbestos siding on your home. Because exposure to asbestos occurs when the fibers become airborne these professionals will know how to keep your home safe during the testing process.

The only way to be sure whether your siding contains asbestos is to have it tested. Asbestos siding was manufactured to resemble many different materials so it doesn t always look the same. So if it s not a tile then it s not likely to be asbestos. The use of a pressure washer for maintenance can crack the siding and lead to moisture intrusion if the pressure setting is high enough.

Since asbestos is a fibrous material you can t simply look at a material and know it contains asbestos. It is generally very brittle and the back may be black and have the appearance of tar paper. Asbestos cement can be dangerous if pulverized by sawing sanding breaking etc. 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.

However signs that a home may have contained asbestos include. An outline of old flooring tiles in a 9 inch by 9 inch pattern. To determine if your building has asbestos check areas where the material was most commonly used like the roof bathroom and basement. Most floor tiles of this size used asbestos.

The asbestos network recommends bringing in a professional to collect samples. Asbestos cement siding is very brittle and can be easily chipped cracked or broken. Most often you won t know unless someone disclosed the information or you ve checked the original building documents. Pipes that aren t insulated but have white or gray insulation remnants particularly on the fittings.