Is Removing Asbestos Siding Dangerous
Asbestos siding poses absolutely no health risk of the siding is intact and in place.
Is removing asbestos siding dangerous. Just as taking samples of asbestos is dangerous these other methods are even more so. Heat water weathering or simple aging also makes the material more fragile at which point it can become dangerous to work with. The general steps included in removing asbestos siding are. 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.
Also i recommend against installing new siding over top of the existing asbestos material as the process will damage the latter and cause asbestos fibers to be released. Removing asbestos siding is a tricky issue as it often poses no real health threat if left intact. The real safety issue with asbestos is when large amounts of it are removed indoors and proper protocol and equipment is not used to capture and collect all asbestos fibers released. Even though most government health and environmental agencies strongly urge homeowners to hire a contractor to remove asbestos it is possible to remove it yourself.
As long as the siding remains intact it can stay. However if you want to remove you have two options. In fact you may be able to install new siding on top of the asbestos siding no removal necessary. If left alone asbestos cement siding and other building products containing asbestos can be fairly benign.
Exposure to and breathing asbestos fibers can result in lung problems and cancer. Using sheeting around the house in order to make sure debris falls onto it and can easily be removed. Cutting asbestos siding is the only danger which is minimized with use of specialized tools that shear rather than cut the shingles. Safely removing asbestos siding if you do decide to remove asbestos siding from your home the answer to is asbestos siding dangerous isn t necessarily yes.
But in reality removal of siding containing asbestos often is more hazardous of leaving it in place. Asbestos siding is composed of asbestos fibers mixed with portland cement. The high cost of asbestos removal alone may keep some people from hiring a contractor. 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.
The process of removing asbestos shingles from your roof or siding will disturb the materials and create a hazardous environment.