Asbestos Siding: To Remove Or Not To Remove?

If your house was built between the 1940s and the 1980s, it may contain asbestos siding. Asbestos fibres were added to roofing and siding materials to strengthen them, increase their durability, and provide insulation and fireproofing. However, asbestos is known to cause severe health issues when inhaled or ingested, so it's important to handle it with care.

If the asbestos siding in your house is intact, it is generally considered safe and can be left alone. However, if the siding is damaged, cracked, or flaking, removal or repair may be necessary. While it is possible to remove asbestos siding yourself, it is essential to take proper safety precautions, such as wearing protective clothing, respirators, and goggles, and keeping the work area wet to minimise dust.

Professional asbestos remediation contractors are available and recommended to handle the safe removal of asbestos siding. They have the necessary equipment and techniques to ensure the asbestos is handled safely.

Asbestos siding removal cost

The cost of removing asbestos siding varies depending on factors such as the size of the area, the type of asbestos, and the condition of the siding. On average, asbestos siding removal costs $7 to $10 per square foot, with a national average total cost of $1,000 for 100 square feet and $14,000 to $20,000 for 2,000 square feet. The cost can increase if the siding is crumbling or in poor condition, with prices ranging from $15 to $20 per square foot for asbestos stucco siding, which is more dangerous to remove.

The cost of labour for asbestos removal professionals is also included in the total removal and disposal cost, with professionals charging $175 to $250 per hour and typically removing 25 square feet of siding per hour. Additionally, testing for asbestos before removal costs $250 to $850, and after removal, asbestos experts test the air to ensure it is safe, which is included in the total cost.

Asbestos siding that is intact and in good condition does not need to be removed. Asbestos is only an issue when it is disturbed and its fibres are released into the air or water supplies. However, if the siding is flaking, cracking, or crumbling, removal is usually necessary to prevent health risks. In some states, complete removal of asbestos siding is required, while others allow encapsulation, which costs $2 to $6 per square foot and involves coating the siding with a special paint to prevent the release of asbestos fibres.

Health Risks

Asbestos is a carcinogenic material that can cause serious health issues such as mesothelioma and lung cancer when it breaks down. When asbestos is disturbed through activities such as cutting, drilling, sanding, or sawing, it releases fibres that can be inhaled and cause severe lung diseases. Therefore, it is crucial to handle asbestos siding removal with caution and ensure proper disposal methods are followed.

Health risks of asbestos

Asbestos is a dangerous substance that can cause serious health problems if inhaled or ingested. The health risks of asbestos exposure include:

• Mesothelioma: A rare cancer of the thin membranes that line the chest and abdomen, and also of the membrane lining the abdominal cavity (peritoneum) or membranes surrounding other internal organs. Mesothelioma can take 30 to 40 years to develop after initial exposure.
• Lung cancer: Asbestos exposure causes about 4% of lung cancers. The combination of smoking and asbestos exposure greatly increases the chance of developing lung cancer.
• Asbestosis: An inflammatory condition affecting the lungs that can cause shortness of breath, coughing, and permanent lung damage. Asbestosis usually occurs after very high exposures over a long time.
• Pleural disease: A non-cancerous lung condition that causes changes in the membrane surrounding the lungs and chest cavity (pleura). Pleural disease can manifest as diffuse pleural thickening, pleural plaques, or a pleural effusion (fluid buildup around the lungs).
• Laryngeal cancer: Confirmed by the National Institutes of Health to be caused by asbestos exposure.
• Ovarian cancer: Studies by the International Agency for Research on Cancer in 2012 determined that asbestos exposure can cause ovarian cancer.

In addition, there is limited evidence that asbestos exposure is linked to increased risks of cancers of the stomach, pharynx, and colorectum.

Asbestos-related diseases typically have a latency period of 20 to 60 years, and signs of asbestos-related disease include breathing difficulty, chest pain, and a range of other cancer symptoms such as shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, and pain or tightening in the chest.

How to identify asbestos siding

If you own an older home, it is possible that the siding may contain asbestos. Houses constructed before the 1980s are likely to have this hazardous material in the siding. Asbestos was commonly used as an insulating and fire-retarding additive in building materials. However, not all manufacturers used it, and the age of the building alone does not automatically mean your home has asbestos.

• Determine the age of your home by checking the property deed or any other construction records. Most homes built after the 1980s no longer use siding that contains asbestos.
• Inspect your siding for any printed information that identifies the manufacturer or date of installation. You can also look for asbestos markings on the packaging.
• Count the layers of paint, as multiple layers indicate age and a greater chance of asbestos.
• Examine the areas around replaced windows and doors for newer siding that can be compared to older sections.
• Look for specific characteristics: asbestos siding often resembles shingles or has a wood grain pattern. It is usually denser and may have two or three nail holes at the bottom of each panel.
• If the siding appears suspect, you can take a sample from a damaged area, being sure to wear a mask. Send this sample to an accredited testing lab to confirm the presence of asbestos.

Remember, if your siding is in good condition and intact, the risk of asbestos exposure is low. It is only when asbestos-containing materials are damaged or disturbed that they can release hazardous fibres that can cause lung disease.

DIY asbestos siding removal

Asbestos siding was a popular non-wood siding product from the 1940s to the 1960s. It is made of asbestos fibres blended with cement to create hard panels that are strong and fireproof. However, by the early 1960s, it became clear that asbestos fibres posed health risks when inhaled or ingested, so the use of asbestos in building products was phased out.

If you have asbestos siding on your home, you may be wondering if you need to remove it. The short answer is no. As long as the siding is intact and not flaking, cracking, or otherwise damaged, it can remain in place where it is harmless. Asbestos is only an issue when it is disturbed in a way that releases asbestos fibres into the air or soil.

However, if you decide to remove the asbestos siding yourself, there are some important safety precautions you need to take. First, check with your local authorities to find out about any permits or regulations you need to follow. You will also need to determine if your siding definitely contains asbestos. Look for signs such as a hard-surfaced (non-wood) siding shingle installed before 1979, grooves or a faux wood grain pattern, and a lack of a manufacturing code stamp on the backside.

If you are sure your siding contains asbestos and you choose to remove it yourself, here are the steps you need to take:

• Apply for an asbestos removal permit from your local building permit office. The cost of the permit may depend on the volume of debris and can range from less than $50 to several hundred dollars.
• Post signs warning any visitors about the work taking place.
• Lay a 6-foot-wide strip of 6-mil sheet plastic along the side of the house where the removal will occur, and create an entrance/exit "transition" zone with an additional piece of plastic.
• Put on disposable coveralls, gloves, goggles, boots, and a respirator with HEPA filters.
• Hose down about 10 square feet of siding with a mixture of water and liquid dish soap to prevent dust from becoming airborne.
• Remove pieces of siding by pulling nails or cutting nail heads to minimise breakage. If necessary, use a pry tool to lift siding pieces and expose nail heads.
• If the siding starts to crack or crumble, wet the affected areas immediately. Lower removed siding pieces to the ground gently, without throwing or dropping them.
• Load wet debris into sturdy containers lined with 6-mil polyethylene and sealed with duct tape.
• Double-bag or wrap filled containers in pre-marked asbestos waste disposal bags, sealing with duct tape.
• Re-wet any remaining debris and double-bag or wrap it. Step onto the transition zone plastic and remove your boots, gloves, and coveralls, leaving them for disposal.
• Remove respirators and wash off tools, respirators, goggles, and boots.
• Double-bag remaining debris, transition zone plastic, and disposable items in properly labelled asbestos disposal bags. Take a shower to rinse off any stray fibres.
• Dispose of asbestos debris at licensed disposal sites or transfer stations. All debris must be sealed in two layers of 6-mil polyethylene plastic.
• Never attempt to vacuum or sweep up asbestos debris, as this will release fibres into the air.

It is important to note that asbestos exposure can pose serious health risks, including asbestosis, pleural disease, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. Always use proper safety equipment and disposal methods to minimise these risks.

Professional asbestos siding removal

If you decide to hire a professional to remove asbestos siding from your house, it will be expensive. This is because asbestos changes the rules dramatically. You will be paying for a regulated specialty contractor who needs to meet state licensing requirements. Asbestos abatement company workers suit up, wear respirators, shield the area, and use liberal amounts of water to hold down the dust.

Professional remediation costs for asbestos-cement siding are usually based on the square footage of the wall areas to be removed. One national contractor networking service lists the national average for asbestos-cement siding remediation at $8 per square foot. This means that even a small house can easily cost several thousand dollars to have the siding safely removed.

You can find a list of certified asbestos removal companies by searching for them online and then narrowing it down to a local county, city, or state website (often designated with a .gov domain suffix).

Another option is to hire a siding replacement company that is familiar with collaborating with abatement specialists. In this way, you can coordinate with a single general contractor who will work with the abatement specialist as a subcontractor. However, be prepared for a bigger project cost, as the siding contractor will pass along the abatement costs to you.

Because asbestos-cement siding is a relatively stable building material and professional removal is so expensive, the better option is often to encapsulate it. This can be done by simply installing new siding material, such as vinyl lap siding over the old siding—a job that should be performed by an installation team familiar with working around asbestos. Another form of encapsulation involves a professional team coating your siding with a latex masonry primer followed by a high-quality latex paint that will prevent the release of asbestos fibers. This form of encapsulation costs from $2 to $6 per square foot.

You might think that asbestos-cement siding must be removed, but in fact, removal may be unnecessary. Asbestos siding never needs to be removed simply because it is asbestos. As long as the siding remains intact, it can stay in place, where it remains harmless. Asbestos is only an issue when it is disturbed in a manner that frees the asbestos fibers to travel through the air or into soil or water supplies. In fact, you may be able to install new siding on top of the asbestos-cement siding without removing it at all. This is often the approach used by siding replacement companies who may install new vinyl siding or other appropriate materials directly over asbestos-impregnated siding, thereby safely sealing and confining it.

Frequently asked questions