What Do Asbestos Siding Shingles Look Like

If you don t know the age of the shingles inspect them for wear.

What do asbestos siding shingles look like.

Asbestos cement is a mixture of portland cement reinforced with asbestos fibers. Most likely the shingles are in two sizes 12 inch or 24 inch. Testing for positive id. This would trigger dust and asbestos dust is a problem as i ve mentioned.

The portland cement binds asbestos fibers into a hard mass. Asbestos cement roofing shingles and siding products are not likely to release asbestos fibers unless sawed dilled or cut. Covering old asbestos shingles with new siding may seem like an option too but it s not easy to do safely. A brief history of asbestos cement siding.

It is usually brittle and the back may be black and have the appearance of tar paper. Look for siding that looks like roof shingles. This is the wavy edge asbestos cement shingle siding product. Asbestos siding was manufactured to resemble many materials so it won t always look the same.

The bottom of an asbestos siding tile may have a wave like pattern though not always. Old asbestos siding tiles may also have a wood grain texture like cedar. Photo guide to cement asbestos wall shingles or siding products. You can t drive screws and nails through them without pre drilling.

If the asbestos material is in good shape and will not be disturbed do nothing. If they look old they might have asbestos fibers in them. Asbestos shingles are relatively strong but brittle. Asbestos cement was first developed in 1905 by the johns manville company who became one of the premier manufacturers of cement asbestos materials.

In this photo of a house in new york state we can see both original cement asbestos wall shingles and newer fiber cement replacement wall shingles that do not contain asbestos. Determine when the shingles were installed on your roof. The front may have a grainy sandy texture.