Asbestos siding

Bird Dogs, Wholesaling
1

I am currently looking at a few houses that have Asbestos siding. I assume it makes for a very hard resell since it has to be disclosed. I’ve heard of REI covering it up with vinyl or what not but my opinion would be to rip it off and replace the siding. Anyone have any experience with Asbestos siding?

2

  • Have you had it tested or do you have a test results from a previous owner?

  • Do you know for a fact that it is “asbestos siding” or is it concrete shingle siding?

  • Asbestos siding is the common name applied and not all of it contains asbestos. You cannot tell just by looking at it.

  • Real asbestos siding left undisturbed is not a hazard…the best bet is to leave it alone.

  • Asbestos siding can be paited and it can have vinyl applied over it…

Here is some more info from the Environmental Protection Agency:

http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/ashome.html

Keith

3

From what I have seen sometimes to be uneducated about what type of siding you actually have is a plus. The more research you do, the bigger paper trail you create, this trail could lead to problems later. When you sell your home later if a buyer asks what type of siding you have and you say you dont know, and you dont know then the siding issues that could have arisen will often be overlooked. In the same situation if they asked and you did know but you told them you didnt, then later they decide to look into it and they found out that you had it tested previously and that you had prior knowledge to the problem, then they could have a better chance of winning a lawsuit.(There arent alot of asbestos labs in certain areas, so chances are if they get a test, it will be at the same place that you did)

I have had investors just side over it or another great idea is to replace the cracked ones with the good ones since they cant be purchased any more. The best way to do this is to take good ones off of the back side of the house, and go over the area that you took from with some t 111 wood siding.

Eric Medemar

4

If you suspect asbestos siding and it appears to be damaged anywhere, tear it all down. Get the guys in space suits to come out and do it the right way. It’s great siding that will last a very long time in most cases. As Eric said, siding over it is sometimes the best way to go. Although choosing to remain ignorant is not the best defense when you caused a family to get lung cancer. I’d much rather lose money on a deal by paying an asbestos abatement crew than be associated in anyway with such a crime.

Don’t be one of the many rehabbers who just covers the defects of a house with a thick coat of paint. Create a quality project that a new owner can pass down from generation to generation without the place falling apart.

5

Just a follow up to this.

I eventually went out and got estimates on removing this and found out there was a nice wood siding underneath. All 3 quotes I got was about $3-4 per sq ft but I talked to another rehab investor and they had a company that removed it by state and city standards for a mere fraction of the price.

Advice: Don’t be afraid to rehab Asbestos siding homes. I’ve seen alot of investors turn and run from these type homes.

6

Asbestos siding is not that awful. It’s actually very durable and , if it does break, causes very little or no dust. The really bad culprit is asbestos insulation, which needs to be abated.
I removed the asbestos siding on an entire home myself and would do it again. The siding came off in mostly full pieces. I wore gloves and a mask. The mask proved to be un - neccesary. There was virtually no dust at all. I contacted my local landfill before I started to see if it was going to be difficult to dispose of. Their only stipulation was to place it in covered boxes. I used Banana boxes. It took about 50 - 60 of them to complete the job. I trucked them to the landfill in my own pick - up. The landfill instructed me to take them to the very bottom of the fill area and unload them, which I did. This was in Midland, Mi. The home was in a rural location, which may be a factor. I did this job in 1995.
Hard to say if it could be duplicated now but I suspect it could.