How To Identify Asbestos Siding

Look for asbestos cement shingles a mixture of asbestos fibers and cement or asbestos cement corrugated roofing which is thicker and more often found on old sheds barns and low income housing.

How to identify asbestos siding.

It may be smooth or have a pressed wood grain pattern on the surface of the board. It is generally very brittle and the back may be black and have the appearance of tar paper. As the experts at asbestos siding note it is sometimes difficult to spot because it was often manufactured to resemble different types of siding in a variety of colors and textures. It does have some characteristics too look for.

Identifying possible asbestos materials 1. Are there several layers of siding wall cladding extending out past the original door trim or window trim could be an indication of several layers of siding the one behind is likely containing asbestos since it was such a popular material previously. Check the manufacturer and product name on the insulation label and do a web search to find out if. Look specifically for any printed.

Just to make things more complicated asbestos siding doesn t always look the same. On the outside of buildings asbestos sheets were often joined together with aluminum runners. 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. The only true way to identify asbestos siding is to have it tested.

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. Asbestos siding was manufactured to resemble many different materials so it doesn t always look the same. While an expert lab test using polarized light microscopy may be needed to identify the specific type of asbestos fiber or to identify the presence of asbestos in air or dust samples many asbestos containing building products not only are obvious and easy to recognize but since there were not other look alike products that were not asbestos a visual identification of this material can be virtually a certainty in many cases. While an expert lab test using polarized light microscopy may be needed to identify the specific type of asbestos fiber or to identify the presence of asbestos in air or dust samples many asbestos containing building products not only are obvious and easy to recognize but since there were not other look alike products that were not asbestos a visual identification of this material can be virtually a certainty in many cases.

Look specifically for any printed information that identifies the siding manufacturer or date of. How to identify asbestos siding determine the age of your home by looking at the property deed or any other records about its construction.