Asbestos Siding Removal FAQ9272829

It’s estimated that roughly 20% of buildings in the US currently contain asbestos, which means there’s a 1 in 5 chance that you may have asbestos in your own home. There’s good news, though; in many cases asbestos poses very little health risk, especially if you’re dealing withasbestos siding. Asbestos is only dangerous when it is broken up and the fibers are released into the air in large quantities such as when removing asbestos insulation or sheetrock. Before tackling the issues of asbestos siding removal, you’ll need to establish that the old siding on your home actually contains asbestos. Just because it looks like asbestos - click here for an example - doesn’t mean that it actually has asbestos in it. Some siding manufacturers added asbestos to their products while others didn’t, and there’s no sure way to tell from a visual inspection. The only way to know for sure is to have a sample tested by a lab, a quick and painless process that can be completed in less than a week for a minimal charge. Once you’re certain you are dealing with asbestos siding, the next step is to weight your options. As long as the siding is unbroken and undisturbed (and by this we mean completely broken and not just cracked and chipped in a few places) there’s no health risk involved with leaving the siding in place. If you do decide to go the asbestos siding removal route, many states allow the homeowner to tackle the job themselves. Be sure to follow safety precautions and check in advance as far as where you can legally dispose of the asbestos and how it needs to be labeled. Contractors that are licensed to handle asbestos can also do the work for you, although in many cases it can be prohibitively expensive due to the necessary equipment and expertise.