So, we're having some new vinyl siding put on the house this summer - we've decided on Certainteed Monogram 46 (certainteed.com) - but the "problem" is that our old siding contains asbestos.
Now, our original plan was to just have the asbestos removed and properly disposed of ... however, we soon found out that this would literally double the price of the job (!), and every company we've spoken with has assured us that the common thing to do in this situation is just install the new siding over the asbestos and not worry about it.
Some research into the subject seems to indicate that this is indeed the preferred method - even recommended by This Old House (thisoldhouse.com)! - but I just can't help shaking the feeling that the asbestos is gonna crack and crumble underneath the new siding and the fibers are going to find their way into the house and give us all cancer.
Everyone says that this is perfectly safe and there's nothing to worry about and all homeowners do it this way and no one has suffered any ill effects because of it ... Am I just being paranoid? Has anyone else dealt with this issue?
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Asbestos is in a lot more places than you'd think. Modern techniques to properly seal it away are very reliable. As long as you work with a reputable contractor, the work will be done properly and there shouldn't be a problem. If you are concerned by it, there are asbestos inspections that can be done every year or so. And some contractors will guarantee their work for a certain amount of time after it is done, so if anything is detected, they should do the repairs.
*Source: I recently had a building resided (Fall 2010) and went through all of these questions with many different contractors and knowledgeable friends/family.
**Disclaimer: I ended up taking everything down and switching to cedar shingles, so I didn't actually get the work in question done, just learned a lot about it.
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The only personal experience I have with asbestos is in the three schools I cover... they all have asbestos tiles, but one of them is in need of remediation. The only reason that's the case is that the mastic's so old that water can seep in, cause the tiles to pop loose and set fibers free. Everything else is fine, because it's secure and encapsulated. So I'd imagine it's the same case with your old siding: if you can keep it in place and covered, it won't be a problem.
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Asbestos causes health problems when it becomes airborne. It isn't radioactive or anything. You just don't want to breathe the dust. If the old siding is covered it won't create airborne particles. The only thing I would be concerned about afterwards is disturbing any soil directly along the foundation line (like the 2-3 inches directly against the house) in dry dusty conditions. You shouldn't be doing any planting that close to the house anyway though.
Originally posted by LiseAsbestos causes health problems when it becomes airborne. It isn't radioactive or anything. You just don't want to breathe the dust. If the old siding is covered it won't create airborne particles. The only thing I would be concerned about afterwards is disturbing any soil directly along the foundation line (like the 2-3 inches directly against the house) in dry dusty conditions. You shouldn't be doing any planting that close to the house anyway though.
Interesting, we were planning on redoing the foundation of the house in the not-too-distant future ... Hmmm.
"All RAW is these days is a cheap version of Saturday Night Live, so if you wanna tune in to watch the amazing star power of Al Sharpton and Nancy O'Dell, go ahead! Who's gonna host next week, Big Bird? Wow, that's must-see TV!" - John Morrison (10/16/09 Smackdown!)
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