Aluminum Siding Over Asbestos

Removing asbestos is often cost prohibitive for most people.

Aluminum siding over asbestos.

Typically aluminum is not used anymore to reside residential homes so the siding needed to be special ordered. 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 was banned in 1989 so as the buildings that incorporated it age their roofing and siding will fall into disrepair. 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.

The easiest way to paint the asbestos siding is to use a paint sprayer. Cement asbestos wall shingles outside and not easily friable unless being demolished or cut with power tools. See photos at asbestos siding in this document. Asbestos ranks high on the list of dangerous substances because of its toxic and carcinogenic properties when airborne.

While older homes will likely contain asbestos in roofing insulation and tiles it can also be present in exterior siding. Most siding companies are well experienced at techniques for covering over existing asbestos cement siding with new vinyl aluminum or fiber cement siding. Many asbestos roofs and siding are damaged cracked or broken. This can release fibers into the air.

Unless asbestos siding is disturbed it doesn t pose a significant health hazard and does not need to be removed. Painting the asbestos siding will help prevent this from happening. Choose a paint that is mold and mildew resistant as well as waterproof. On this particular job the home already had aluminum siding.

Installing vinyl siding will require disturbing the asbestos by nailing into it. If you suspect that your siding may contain asbestos there is no need for alarm. Both the epa and the vinyl siding institute recommend not disturbing asbestos if at all possible. A typical procedure is to install furring strips on the existing wall avoiding breaking the existing siding.

And see asbestos cement siding for details about cement asbestos building siding its repair removal demolition or cover over. The client had a tight budget and just wanted to patch in new siding to match the existing siding.