I am looking at buying a house with asbestos shingles that are in good shape. Some of the sections of the home have been covered with vinyl siding, some with wood panels. I want to make everything the same. How would I go about covering them up using wood/hardiboard siding? And, is there a problem with removing the vinyl siding that is attached to the asbestos siding?

As you probably know, asbestos presents the greatest health risk when it is airborne. Asbestos siding is what we call "non-friable" and not likely to be airborne. Professionals are permitted to remove it with minimal training and little protective equipemnt. As long as it remains that way (not broken into tiny fragments) it poses no undue hazard.

If you decide to cover it, you run into the problem of attaching the new material. Technically, drilling or nailing through it risks creating a fiber release. So I would recommend removing it --in tact. In other words, whole pieces. Homeowners are permitted to do this themselves and as long as you take common sense precautions like keeping it intact and wetting it down before removal, you are not under any serious risk. Wear gloves to keep fibers from your hands. If you decide to pay to have a professional remove it for you expect to pay anywhere from 3 to 5 bucks per square foot, depending on what part of the country and what time of year it is.


Fortress Environmental Solutions
www.fortressusa.com