Asbestos In Stucco Siding

Stucco over old asbestos siding.

Asbestos in stucco siding.

Some homes have vermiculite attic insulation that contains asbestos. You should wear respiratory protection when you do this because asbestos fibers are very fine. Most types of asbestos containing plaster were manufactured between 1942 and 1974. Asbestos cement siding is very brittle and can be easily chipped cracked or broken.

That said asbestos was used in stucco and drywall as early as 1910 and use continued at a slower rate until at least the early 1980 s. Although some people believe that stucco is the building material most likely to contain asbestos many other mixtures used for construction contained this dangerous mineral as well. The job i am currently on has asbestos shingles on part of the original house we tried using an air stapler but most of them bent and didnt attach to anything we then tried using an 8 penny nailer this to didnt work as the nail went thru the shingle and lath we ended up using a screw gun and small washers to. Except keep in mind this is the kind of asbestos that we call cement asbestos because the asbestos is encased in a cement slurry mix that hardens into the form of the tile.

While modern applications of stucco have no risk of containing asbestos any building constructed between 1940 and 1990 could have asbestos in the plaster. You will still want to flash it all out similar to a framed sheathed wall including a weep screed at the base. You wont have any luck topcoating over the asbestos but it would be best to leave it in place run furring strips layed out similar to a framed wall over it then lath scratch brown coat followed by the stucco topcoat. It s found in loose fill attic and wall insulation and there s also asbestos in stucco siding.

Asbestos cement can be dangerous if pulverized by sawing sanding breaking etc. The use of a pressure washer for maintenance can crack the siding and lead to moisture intrusion if the pressure setting is high enough. There is simply no manner of telling without testing. Asbestos millboard was used as a fire barrier behind and over and around wood stoves coal stoves heating appliances in buildings up to 1978.

Stucco remediation james hardie siding. If your house was built or renovated during that time it s a good idea to have it tested.