I currently have a house that was built in 68. The Owners had a flat roof placed on it that had a fiber style siding that I am unsure of the material. One of the guys at my local hardware store said that he had heard of old siding made out of asbestos. Is there any truth to that?
If so, how do I test for it?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Learning more about accommodating neurodivergence in the trades can help grow a much-needed workforce.
"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.
Replies
Yes, there is definitely old siding that contains asbestos. The version I've seen was sheets about the size of a standard roofing shingle, ~~12" x 36". It's relatively thin, ~~3/16 and brittle. The siding in your pic definitely isn't the stuff I'm familiar with, but if you Google "asbestos siding" you'll see pix that look like yours and lots of posts. You can take samples to a lab (Google asbestos lab) and have it tested or find an old timer.
I would definitely test that. Seems like I've seen DIY kits pretty reasonable but I'd do whatever it takes.
Definitely YES ! Up into the early '80's when the manufacturer stuck warning labels on the back.
Does some old siding have asbestos? Yes, but what your photo shows seems to be hardboard siding which is made of wood fibers and resins, no asbestos.
Unless you plan to disturb it (remove it, cut it, sand it, etc) it is harmless. Many a house has asbestos siding under vinyl or other siding. Asbestos siding was a great product—durable, takes paint well, fireproof. The only danger it posed was to those who manufactured it or cut it during installation.
Thanks everyone for your help.