Siding gives a defined and structural support to your house. There are many different types of siding selected by the people for their house. One from the list is the asbestos-cement siding. Just like all other sidings, it is also having some pros and cons along with health effects. We will be looking deep into every related aspect in the following blog.
If you are having adequate knowledge regarding the health effects of asbestos, then you might be thinking to remove it from your property. Furthermore, nowadays it is recommended to avoid the building materials that are having asbestos in it. Keeping all this in view, if you are planning to remove it, then this needs to be done with great care.
During the removal process, the material is disturbed through practices like sanding, ripping, and demolition. Due to this the fibers can be inhaled or ingested by the people near to the surroundings leading to various health problems. For the removal, special techniques and precautionary measures should be followed. To get professional assistance for Cape Cod house siding service , you should always contact the professional companies.
Health Risk of Asbestos
There is no doubt regarding the health issues that can be posed by the asbestos. Due to this reason, it is now not used in the building material. Asbestos is a naturally occurring silicate mineral that appears to be a fibrous material. It is having a great resistance against the fire and heat that comes with good insulating properties. In the time of the 1970s, it was found in most of the building materials.
If the fibers of asbestos are inhaled, it leads to various lung diseases that include asbestosis and other types of cancers like mesothelioma. Furthermore, there is no safe level for asbestos. The most affected people are those who are regularly working with this material. The asbestos fibers can be carried by the workers on their clothes which can also cause problems for the other family members. Moreover, if you are planning to repair your siding, then such work needs to be done by the experts. Hence, for the exterior siding repair, you need to contact competent workers for the job.
History of Asbestos-Cement Sidin
Asbestos is a mixture of Portland cement that is reinforced with the asbestos fibers. The cement binds the asbestos fibers into a hard mass. The asbestos reinforced concrete was sold and installed in the early 1970s. There was a concept that asbestos cement neutralizes the asbestos fibers. This was later proved wrong. The asbestos-cement material will release asbestos fibers in pure form when the material is crushed or broken. This was mostly used from 1940 to 1960 due to its fireproof nature.
Advantages of Asbestos-Cement Siding
If it stays in good shape, then the health hazards are reduced. The advantages of the asbestos-cement siding are listed below:
1-It is highly fire resistant as it will not burn or melt as compared to vinyl or wood siding.
2-It is having resistance against the termite damage.
3-It is having resistant against the rotting.
4-It is developed with textures intended to stimulate the look of other cladding materials like wood grain.
5-You can easily maintain it and clean it.
6-Like the other porous siding materials such as wood clapboard the asbestos-cement siding will not absorb paint quickly. Due to this reason, it is easy to paint it.
Worried about the siding services? For professional guidance, you need to connect with the house siding company to get the work done right.
Disadvantages of Asbestos-Cement Siding
The demerits are as follows:
1-The siding is very brittle and it can be easily chipped, broken, or cracked.
2-The usage of pressure washer for maintenance can form cracks in the siding due to a high-pressure setting that leads to moisture intrusion.
3-It can be very dangerous if it is pulverized due to sanding, breaking, sawing, etc.
4-It is very difficult to find the replacement during the repairing process.
5-You cannot refurnish this product just like other forms of siding. For instance, wood clapboard can be sanded or repainted. Furthermore, the cedar shake siding can be sand-blasted and restrained. These methods will help you to bring the wood in original condition but this can’t be done with the asbestos-cement siding.
5-It is not aesthetically desirable in the present time.
Why Avoid the Removal?
Now, you are aware of the pros and cons but still, most of the homeowners try to remove it from their property. But before you make any final decision, you need to consider things carefully. One of the best ways is to cover it with new siding and this will effectively seal in the asbestos material. This is one of the ways to deal with asbestos building materials. Most of the companies will be covering the siding with aluminum, vinyl and new form of fiber-cement siding.
The removal of asbestos-siding cement will add an additional step in your project and this will also increase the cost as well. The removal of the existing siding is not included in the siding companies’ estimates. If the company will agree to remove it, then the cost will be added in the estimates.
The removal of asbestos-cement siding is not an easy job. This cannot be done by calling the local contractor. According to your local area, you have to get special permits and you have to hire a special asbestos abatement company for the work. When the removal process starts, you have to follow the special procedures and disposal methods to carry out the work.
The home that is having an enclosed old asbestos-cement siding with new siding is acceptable for the home inspectors and real estate assessors. Moreover, this will not have a negative effect on your home values. Hope now you are aware of the things related to the asbestos-cement siding.
From the long list of siding, stucco is also one of the used materials. For stucco repair or maintenance, you need to hire the stucco siding contractors for the work.
