Asbestos Brick Siding

It is very brittle and has a tendency to crack and break when nailed which can release asbestos fibers into both the air and ground.

Asbestos brick siding.

Fabrics that contained asbestos or were made entirely of asbestos were numerous and were used in a wide range of applications such as aluminized suits for fire fighters foundry workers and furnace repairmen. Let the siding dry then prime and paint with the best exterior latex you can find. Look for a siding that is made to look like roof shingles. It has been spelled insulbrick and other things.

Asbestos cement can be dangerous if pulverized by sawing sanding breaking etc. If you suspect that your siding may contain asbestos there is no need for alarm. Removing asbestos is often cost prohibitive for most people. It is generally very brittle and the back may be black and have the appearance of tar paper.

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. Asbestos ranks high on the list of dangerous substances because of its toxic and carcinogenic properties when airborne. Asphalt siding was available from the 1930s to about 1960. Asbestos shingles are relatively strong but brittle.

The use of a pressure washer for maintenance can crack the siding and lead to moisture intrusion if the pressure setting is high enough. As a rule tar paper and insulbrick were applied over wood siding. Asbestos cement siding is very brittle and can be easily chipped cracked or broken. Covering old asbestos shingles with new siding may seem like an option too but it s not easy to do safely.

Exposure to and breathing asbestos fibers can result in lung problems and cancer. While older homes will likely contain asbestos in roofing insulation and tiles it can also be present in exterior siding. The mastic company then of south bend indiana developed inselbric asbestos siding in 1932. Lead paint wasn t outlawed until 1978 so it s sure to be present on siding going back to the 1950s.

Asbestos siding was manufactured to resemble many different materials so it doesn t always look the same. Inselbric is a trademarked name for a particular product sold by mastic. 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. Insulbrick was the preferred choice for replacement siding until aluminum and vinyl siding became available in the late 1950s.

Houses clad in insulbrick can appear to be brick houses from a distance. It was widely used in the colder climates and can be seen on some older building.