Asbestos Cement Siding

Cementious siding and roofing such as fiber cement siding lap siding and fiber cement roof shingles containing asbestos may then have appeared on homes constructed between 1906 and 1980 in north america and continuing later in some other countries.

Asbestos cement siding.

The asbestos network recommends bringing in a professional to collect samples. The portland cement binds asbestos fibers into a hard mass. A brief history of asbestos cement siding asbestos cement is a mixture of portland cement reinforced with asbestos fibers. A hardened mixture of asbestos fibers portland cement and water used in relatively thin slabs for shingles wallboard and siding asbestos siding was first introduced into the us in the early 1900 s by austrian engineer ludwid hatschek.

Cementious siding and roofing such as fiber cement siding lap siding and fiber cement roof shingles containing asbestos may then have appeared on homes constructed between 1906 and 1980 in north america and contining later in some other countries. The resulting product was very durable fire resistant and absorbed paint well. 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 was made by adding asbestos a naturally occurring mineral to portland cement.

According to merriam webster asbestos cement is. Unlike wood which can be sanded down repainted and refinished asbestos siding cannot. Asbestos cement was first developed in 1905 by the johns manville company who became one of the premier manufacturers of cement asbestos materials. That cement was then pressed into siding shingles that came in a wide variety of sizes profiles and textures.

Asbestos cement siding was a commonly used building material in the us and canada from the early to mid late 20th century roughly from the 1920s to the 1980s. Guide to siding over asbestos cement siding. Older style cement siding shingles were traditionally made by mixing asbestos into the cement in order to fireproof and strengthen siding. Asbestos cement siding shingles resemble shakes or machine grooved shingles and asbestos cement roofing shingles generally resemble either shakes or slate supradur 1985.

They are primarily being used for replacement and maintenance in luxury homes schools churches and historical restoration projects atlas 1986b supradur 1986a. It s difficult to find replacement siding for worn down areas and many people consider it inherently unattractive.