Covering old asbestos shingles with new siding may seem like an option too but it s not easy to do safely.
Asbestos shingle siding painting.
Unfortunately asbestos never remains truly untouched because of nature.
It s not difficult at all to paint asbestos siding as one of its benefits is that paint easily adheres to it and it is very durable and can last for decades without chipping or cracking.
Untouched asbestos is just as safe as any other siding or insulation.
Painting asbestos siding once we have cleaned and prepared the surface then there is really no difference when it comes to painting.
Painting cement asbestos siding or non asbestos fiber cement siding is in part a cosmetic decision.
Allow the primer to dry completely.
Paint for asbestos cement siding works by creating a permanent polymer based barrier between the asbestos and the elements.
You can roll it or brush it on but make sure you get under the small lip at the bottom of each asbestos siding shingle.
Let the siding dry then prime and paint with the best exterior latex you can find.
Normally you d scrap down the old paint from your siding but doing that with asbestos can release dangerous particles into the air.
This presents a problem when it s time to repaint the exterior of the house.
And after you prime them you can use a standard house paint.
We have rarely seen this material in a worn friable condition but should that occur one might paint the surface also to stop fiber shedding and to preserve the material.
After it dries thoroughly then it s a good idea to prime them.
Do you need to use special paint for cement asbestos siding.
Our method of choice to first apply zinsser peel stop triple thick primer which is a water based acrylic binding primer designed to penetrate and stop previous coatings from peeling.
Painting asbestos siding is often a much better alternative than trying to remove it.
Asbestos shingles are relatively strong but brittle.
You know the nice thing about asbestos shingles is they never rot.
Lead paint wasn t outlawed until 1978 so it s sure to be present on siding going back to the 1950s.
One concern when repainting this type of siding is the small gaps between the shingles.
Asbestos shingle siding prep.
Begin painting the siding with your choice of brushes and rollers making sure to check often for runs.
Old asbestos shingles on your house aren t dangerous unless you start breaking scraping or otherwise disturbing them.
They are plenty legal and fine here if you do not break them up into tiny bits releasing the dust.
You do not want to scrape or sand the shingles directly as you could release asbestos but otheriwse you will be fine.