Living In A House With Asbestos Siding

Many houses built in the 20th century contain some level of asbestos and it is generally safe to live in them if you won t be doing any serious construction.

Living in a house with asbestos siding.

We could also have the siding removed which would cost about 5 000 plus the cost of re siding the house. Asbestos siding can be very dangerous if handled improperly. It seems a silly question but is asbestos siding dangerous is an important topic to discuss. 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.

While asbestos cement siding that is 50 years old or more is often still in good condition due to the longevity of the material there are two issues you inherit when you buy a house with this material. I don t know if this should be a dealbreaker or not. The presence of asbestos cement siding in and of itself is not a serious drawback. Exposure to and breathing asbestos fibers can result in lung problems and cancer.

The siding seems to be in good shape but we would of course have this verified by an inspector. If you have an older home with rigid metal ducts as shown above it might have the white fabric tape you see in the photo. When the asbestos containing material is disturbed deteriorating or broken however it can be harmful to your health. The white tape you see above is of the type that often contains asbestos although you don t really know without sending a sample to be tested in a lab.

If you are planning a remodel you ll need to check your local laws and hire the right professionals to assess the home and dispose of the waste correctly. For example if you drill sand or cut these building materials it will produce a cloud of asbestos fibres that you or people living in your home may inhale. We were fully prepared to buy the house before we learned about the siding. Asbestos siding is composed of asbestos fibers mixed with portland cement.

1 some insurance companies will not insure a home with asbestos siding so it may increase the difficulty and cost of acquiring homeowner s insurance. There are hundreds of thousands of homes and garages with this siding material and when it is in good shape the health hazards are minimal. Scraping or brushing off old paint from asbestos siding is necessary before repainting but dangerous because it can release small asbestos fibres the approach of removing the old shingles and replacing them with new siding is an option that many homeowners have pursued though probably not as safely as they should. The presence of asbestos cement siding should not necessarily be viewed as a serious problem.

Asbestos is only dangerous when cut sawn or broken into small enough pieces so that asbestos fibers are sent into the air. Saturday august 25 2018.