How To Tell If Roof Shingles Are Asbestos

In fact roofing practices and building materials have changed to be safer and healthier since then.

How to tell if roof shingles are asbestos.

If you don t know the age of the shingles inspect them for wear. Asbestos was also put into cement used on the exterior of buildings to help insulate the. Roofing and siding shingles are the most common materials to contain asbestos. Wear a face mask gloves and cover any bare.

Inside the sheets will be held together by plastic or wooden runners. Often these sheets were used as siding corrugated roofing and soffit material. If they look old they might have asbestos fibers in them. Determine when the shingles were installed on your roof.

Inspect exterior building materials. No roofer in their right mind would use asbestos based shingles on any project nor can these types of shingles be produced or sold in the united states. If asbestos in the roof spreads this will lead to a health hazard making people breath in the cancer causing chemical that can result in lung cancer mesothelioma etc. To check the concrete for asbestos look out for thin pieces of it containing small fibres.

Manufacturers used it in a variety of building materials such as floor tiles roofing shingles and insulation. Asbestos shingles were so common during the 20th century that almost any shingles installed between 1920 and 1986 probably include asbestos. When taking a sample be very careful because asbestos dust can get into the lungs and cause cancer. It is only in scientific testing of a sample that determines asbestos in.

Therefore when deciding to get a sample do so with certain precautions. Asbestos was used to make several exterior materials. If your roof is constructed in this way then you should also inspect the adhesives that have been used. Roofing and siding shingles are among the most common materials to contain asbestos and will readily release fibers into the air if broken.

No roofing company today uses asbestos in shingles. Furthermore asbestos roofing produces a higher asbestos concentration than other cement roof sheets. The result of the test will lead you to the next step. Accordingly if the material contains less than 1 asbestos it is safe and does not require removal.

Asbestos is a mineral fiber that was prized for its insulating properties. Asbestos sheets are often fixed together by aluminium runners held on by blunt ended nails. Today we know that frequent exposure to airborne asbestos can lead to an increased risk of lung cancer. The only way to know for sure whether your roof contains asbestos is to have a sample tested by professionals in a certified laboratory.

The only way to safely know whether the roof tiles contain asbestos or not is to have a sample professionally checked under a microscope that uses polarized light.