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In the 19th and 20th centuries, the usage of asbestos siding was standard practice. Most folks realize the risk of asbestos in older homes, but many do not realize that it was commonly utilized in siding too. It wasn’t till the 1980′s when the experts started to suspect that home siding could also pose a severe health risk to home owners.

If you suspect your older home may possibly have asbestos in the siding below are a few suggestions to help you identify any problems.

The first thing you need to do is take a look at the deed to your house. It should contain the year that the house was built. If it was prior to 1978 there is a good chance that asbestos was 1 of the materials employed in its construction. If the outside of your house still has the original siding you’ll need to check for damage, if no damage is present it is recommended to leave it in place until you are able to contact a professional or else you risk asbestos exposure.

You should inspect your siding for manufacture information printing, if there is a manufacture code it’s not likely that the siding contains asbestos. Coding siding wasn’t commonly done until after 1980, after asbestos was removed from the manufacturing process. However, if there are several layers of paint on your siding, you ought to bring in a professional to take a look.

Siding that looks like roof shingles were common before 1980, and asbestos was frequently employed in the manufacturing. Look at the rear of the shingles for some thing that appears like tar paper, also look for a grainy textured appearance on the front. Both are good indications that asbestos might be present.

A lot of manufacturers also manufactured a fake cedar wood grain siding. These shingles were usually about 12 to 24 inches and the bottom typically had a wavy pattern, although it was just the most popular there were still other patterns produced.

If after you have done an inspection you suspect the presence of asbestos or you are not 100% certain, it’s time to get in touch with a professional. Manufacturers used to make goods from asbestos that in fact resembled asbestos-free products which can be confusing to the amature eye.

Sending a modest sample of siding for testing to one of the many reputable labs is the best and only sure fire method to tell if it contains asbestos. If your property was built prior to 1980 then you should have a sample tested even if the siding looks OK. After all asbestos is the cause of mesothelioma and we can never be too carful protecting our family.

Learn about siding topics like DYI Siding Repair at sidingestimate.net.