Painting Cement Asbestos Siding

Painting asbestos siding is often a much better alternative than trying to remove it.

Painting cement asbestos siding.

Painting cement asbestos siding or non asbestos fiber cement siding is in part a cosmetic decision. Where acm cannot be removed and must be sealed painted coated or cleaned there may be a risk to health. One concern when repainting this type of siding is the small gaps between the shingles. Besides the need to create a good surface for painting asbestos siding there are two other areas of concern.

The danger of asbestos lies in the particles that escape and can be inhaled. Paint for asbestos cement siding works by creating a permanent polymer based barrier between the asbestos and the elements. Painting asbestos siding once we have cleaned and prepared the surface then there is really no difference when it comes to painting. You can power wash any loose paint or simply scrape and remove any.

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. This is due to the fact that fiber cement does not soak in the painting products like cedar pine or other wood siding products. Begin by analyzing a paint sample for lead content. 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.

Begin painting the siding with your choice of brushes and rollers making sure to check often for runs. Unlike more porous siding materials such as wood clapboard asbestos cement siding will not quickly soak up paint which allows it to be painted more easily. These are easily prepared and easy to repaint. Allow the primer to dry completely.

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. Unfortunately asbestos never remains truly untouched because of nature. Untouched asbestos is just as safe as any other siding or insulation. The first is the possible and almost certain presence of lead based paint on the siding and the second is the asbestos in the siding itself.

When you say asbestos shingles i presume you mean asbestos siding shingles. Sealing painting coating and cleaning of asbestos cement products as a first priority removing asbestos containing material acm must be considered. 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.