How To Remove Asbestos Siding

Asbestos siding are commonly found in the old American and Canadian homes, usually the homes built before the 20s. Asbestos sidings are also called as asbestos cement sidings as the asbestos was added to the cement for its fire-radiant properties that also provide strength and durability to the siding shingles. It was later, that the researches indicated that asbestos can be a carcinogenic substance if they are airborne. The research suggested that exposure to asbestos can cause lung cancer, skin cancer, mesothelioma and many other types of cancer. As a result of this devastating research, use of asbestos was banned by the EPA (Environment Protection Agency) in the year 1989. Today different types of house siding are used.

Before Removing Asbestos Siding
Before you think of removing asbestos siding as a part of home improvement measure, make sure you take all the precautionary measures as asbestos siding is not at all like the ordinary house siding. To remove asbestos siding on your own is not much difficult, provided you take all the precautionary measures that are required.

Seek Permission: Before removing the asbestos siding, you must take the most important precaution, which is the permission of the local authorities. The homeowner must take the permission of the zonal or the local building agencies and the health department of your state, before removing the asbestos siding. The safety codes regarding the usage of asbestos vary from state to state. Make sure you follow all the guidelines and the precautionary measures before you start to remove asbestos siding.

Safety Measures: Asbestos siding removal by the homeowner is legal, yet it is very important to use the professional tools and techniques to perform the job of a professional. Make sure you wear protective clothing that has special safety add-ons like a respirator, and safety glasses. You need to take additional safety measures to avoid the damage that can be caused to the home due to the use of the water while removing asbestos siding.

How to Remove Asbestos Siding?
The most common thing to do before removing the siding is to make sure that the siding is really an asbestos siding. Hence, send the sample of the asbestos siding to the testing laboratory if the siding is built before the year 1989. Decide whether you really need to remove the asbestos siding. It is best to not to remove the asbestos siding if there is no damage done to the siding. Remember, asbestos creates problem only when it is exposed to the air or when the siding is damaged.

Materials Needed to Remove Asbestos Siding

• Lifting nails
• Nail head cutter
• Polythene sheeting and a knife
• Coded respirator
• Disposable clothing, hand-gloves and safety glasses
• Containers to collect the debris
• Disposal bag (asbestos waste bags) and a duct tape
• Water and a garden hose
• Liquid detergent

Instructions for Removing Asbestos Siding

• Make signs of "warning" when you will be working on the asbestos siding. Make sure you warn the visitors and friends about the harmful effects of asbestos exposure. The best way is to place a long strip of a plastic sheet around your house.
• Hose 50 square feet of siding with a teaspoon full of liquid detergent, in a garden pump sprayer. Remove the siding pieces by cutting the nail heads, this will create the minimum damage to the asbestos siding.
• If the siding starts to crack, wet the cracks with the soap-solution that we learned to prepare earlier. Also, wet the backside of each of the removed piece of asbestos siding with the same solution.
• Make it a point not to throw away any of the broken pieces of the siding. Always collect all the pieces in a small plastic strip and wet that piece all the time. Place this removed asbestos siding into a cardboard box or any of the sturdy containers.
• Wrap the loose pieces of asbestos siding with the plastic bag and seal it with a duct tape. Wrap this whole material in a bag which should be marked with warning labels like asbestos waste.
• While removing the last piece of asbestos siding, do not forget to wet yourself, as it will protect the outsides of the respirator as well as the hand-gloves from any incidences of asbestos exposure.

Remove the boots and then remove the disposable gloves and the clothing, by peeling it inside out. Place this contaminated clothing in a polythene bag for disposal. Also dispose the filters of the respirators. Make sure you throw away all the remaining debris by doing a double-bag wrapping. All the debris from the asbestos siding must be handed over to the licensed agency that has rights and permission to receive such materials.

This was all about how to remove asbestos siding. Make sure you take all the additional safety measures and consult an expert and then remove asbestos siding. Take care!