We can see some old red siding under the vinyl siding on our cottage. Any idea what is is made of? It’s a bit bumpy but all the areas I can see it look to be in good shape. It appears to be strips not shingles. The cottage was built in 1965.
I’m not a fan of the beige vinyl siding on the cottage. Could we possibly remove it and painted this red siding to update the look of the cottage? What do you think?
Thanks in advance.
Dangerous electrical work and widespread misconceptions cause fires, deaths, and $1.5 billion in property damage annually.
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.
Start Free Trial NowGet instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.
Start Free Trial Now
Replies
How soft is the wood? Looks like redwood from a distance, and redwood is very soft.
Looks kind of like asbestos siding to me, but I haven’t seen that pattern before.
jlyda may well be right about it being some sort of mineral/cement amalgam but it might also be some type of pressed fiber stuff like masonite.
Thanks for the replies. The material seems very hard - not a soft wood. A contractor told us it was "plywood siding" yesterday. Is there such thing as plywood siding?
It is in good condition in the spots I can see while the surrounding wood is in a state of disrepair which could be another clue.
This siding does not look like it was ever painted as the grooves even and defined.
Is there such thing as plywood siding from the 1960s?
The pictures I find of asbestos siding are mostly a shingle type. It looks like it is in long strips, not shingles. Did asbestos siding come in long strips in 1965 (in Ontario, Canada)?
Any further thoughts?
It’s hard to say. They put asbestos in a lot of building products and 1965 is within the period of time that it was still being produced. The only way you will no for sure is to have it tested. I’ve never seen it in plywood form. I have seen it in hardboard form, your contractor may have mistakenly said plywood when he meant to say hardboard. It could just be an asphalt composite, but even so they mixed the asbestos in with asphalt often. If it is hard like a concrete board siding, really good chance it’s asbestos. With my experience the really rigid stuff is asbestos.