Aluminum Siding Over Asbestos

If you suspect that your siding may contain asbestos there is no need for alarm.

Aluminum siding over asbestos.

The easiest way to paint the asbestos siding is to use a paint sprayer. Unless asbestos siding is disturbed it doesn t pose a significant health hazard and does not need to be removed. Cement asbestos wall shingles outside and not easily friable unless being demolished or cut with power tools. Installing vinyl siding will require disturbing the asbestos by nailing into it.

A common remodeling practice is to install new vinyl or aluminum siding over cement asbestos shingle siding as well as over many other older siding materials when the old siding has become damaged leaky or cosmetically ugly. Asbestos siding though hard can flake over time which will lead to the possibility of you inhaling the asbestos. Many asbestos roofs and siding are damaged cracked or broken. See photos at asbestos siding in this document.

Choose a paint that is mold and mildew resistant as well as waterproof. Asbestos siding in particular however has a tendency to chip crack and break with normal wear and tear of family life. Alternatively if you leave the asbestos on your home you can safely seal the old siding underneath the new siding and because asbestos is an excellent insulator you will actually be adding to the energy efficiency of your home by leaving it on. And see asbestos cement siding for details about cement asbestos building siding its repair removal demolition or cover over.

Asbestos was banned in 1989 so as the buildings that incorporated it age their roofing and siding will fall into disrepair. The client had a tight budget and just wanted to patch in new siding to match the existing siding. A typical procedure is to install furring strips on the existing wall avoiding breaking the existing siding. Removing asbestos is often cost prohibitive for most people.

Most siding companies are well experienced at techniques for covering over existing asbestos cement siding with new vinyl aluminum or fiber cement siding. Asbestos ranks high on the list of dangerous substances because of its toxic and carcinogenic properties when airborne. This can release fibers into the air. On this particular job the home already had aluminum siding.

If a siding company removes an outer layer of siding and finds an older layer of asbestos cement siding beneath the standard procedure is simply to cover it over with new siding rather. Typically aluminum is not used anymore to reside residential homes so the siding needed to be special ordered.