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A Sensible Approach to Asbestos Siding

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For decades, asbestos was considered a building material of choice for dozens of products including insulation and siding.  From 1950 until 1980, asbestos was used without restraint to such an extent that even today the prevalence of installed asbestos in homes, businesses and public buildings is significant.
When public health officials learned and then made us aware of the huge danger asbestos poses to public health, a massive undertaking to remove asbestos from every possible building was undertaken.  That effort is still underway.

If you live or work in a building that may have asbestos siding, how to deal with the potential dangers to your employees or family it poses some real problems.  To go in and have every scrap of building materials removed that might have asbestos materials in place is a massive expense that may be more than you can handle in your budget.  On top of that, there is a big dilemma with removing and replacing asbestos siding and insulation because it is possible that the installation itself is perfectly safe if it is undisturbed.  But the act of removing the asbestos creates a hazardous situation because taking out an old installation of asbestos increases the chances that the insulation or siding will rupture and spill asbestos fibers into the air is much higher during such an operation than just leaving it there.


If you suspect that the siding of your building contains asbestos, it is important to confirm your suspicion positively before planning a drastic repair and maintenance operation.  Secure a sample of the siding that is big enough that it will be able to be tested for asbestos.  Be sure you take care when taking the sample from your siding that you cover your mouth and skin so if any asbestos fibers escape, you are protected.  Seal up the sample so it cannot rupture during handling and take it to a lab that can find out if the materials used in making that siding contain asbestos.

If the testing tells you that the siding contains asbestos, inspect the siding for damage.  Asbestos is only a danger if the siding is damaged which would cause the fine asbestos fibers to get into the air where they can be breathed by you or your workers or family which can lay the groundwork for a future asbestos related lung cancer.  If there has been no breach to the siding, you can be comforted that to date, there has been no asbestos exposure.

If you are going to remove and replace the siding yourself, plan well.  You should assure the building is not occupied and will not be occupied throughout the process.  You must make sure that you and whoever helps you is completely protected so you will not come in direct contact with the asbestos and that you will not breathe any fibers that will be released by the replacement process.  

Once you get the asbestos off of your building, be sure you dispose of it properly.  Don't just throw it is the dumpster.  Asbestos is a significant public health threat so contact authorized asbestos landfills or destruction facilities that know how to handle the substance safely.

If you feel that the risks and your level of expertise is not sufficient to handle the removal of siding that contains asbestos, you are wise to contract a service that is well equipped and trained in such a replacement.  It will be a little more expensive but the removal will be safer, faster and without any potential of risk for you and your workers or family.  That is a cost worth paying for the health of the people you care about.
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