How To Prepare Asbestos Siding For Paint
Does your domicile have asbestos siding?
Anytime anyone mentions the word asbestos, it tin can exist enough to sound the alarms in your mind. Afterwards all, the harmful furnishings of asbestos are no underground: Asbestos exposure is the principal crusade of mesothelioma, a type of cancer that affects the lining of the lungs and other organs.
Many older buildings and homes still comprise insulation and structure materials made from asbestos, including piping wrapping, paint, and siding.
Removing asbestos can be an arduous, expensive, and risky task that requires the help of professionals.
Often, owners cull non to remove the asbestos and exit it be. But what if you lot accept asbestos siding and want to pigment your habitation? Is painting asbestos safe?
When it comes to painting asbestos-cement siding, information technology is a achievable DIY project for a homeowner ‒ although it does come with condom precautions. Painting asbestos-cement siding tin even serve as a better, safer, and more toll-constructive alternative to removing it altogether.
If you're planning to paint asbestos siding, here's everything you need to know to go the job washed safely and efficiently.
What Is Asbestos?
Before nosotros talk over how to pigment asbestos siding, let'due south get over some nuts.
Asbestos is a grouping of sparse mineral fibers that are resistant to heat. Asbestos's high oestrus resistance has long made it an ideal fireproofing and insulation material in homes and buildings.
Asbestos grit remains in the body once inhaled or ingested, so it'south unsafe when asbestos fibers go airborne. Because asbestos never leaves the torso, the thin, abrupt fibers can irritate the lungs, stomach, heart, and other organ linings. Years of irritation can somewhen lead to cancerous mutations.
When Should Y'all Remove Asbestos?
It's always prophylactic to assume any older home or building built earlier the 1980s contains asbestos. In the US, where asbestos is notwithstanding legal, sellers don't accept to disclose when their holding contains asbestos. But because asbestos is such a health take a chance and a widespread public business, sellers have more than incentive to have their homes tested for asbestos and provide full disclosure on their property.
Non sure if your belongings contains asbestos? Don't panic. Have your abode professionally tested for asbestos before starting whatsoever remodeling or renovating.
Even if a property has asbestos-containing materials, information technology'due south non always necessary to remove them. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends not removing the materials if they're in proficient condition.
Only when these materials atomize or get damaged or disturbed does the asbestos grit pose a chance. When in dubiety, get a professional to help yous make up one's mind whether it's worth removing asbestos-containing materials or not.
Can Y'all Pigment over Asbestos Siding?
When dealing with whatsoever asbestos-containing materials, whether siding, insulation, pipe wrapping, or roof shingles, you lot SHOULD practice rubber and caution no affair what.
By and large speaking, painting over asbestos-cement siding isn't nearly as dangerous every bit removing it altogether. In fact, if yous're concerned about your asbestos-cement siding, painting over it is a safer and more cost-effective selection than professional removal. That'due south because painting over asbestos-cement siding won't disrupt the asbestos fibers and cause them to go airborne.
However, because painting often requires preparation of the surface, similar sanding, pressure washing, ripping, or removing croaky or peeling areas, herein lies the potential risk for asbestos exposure.
Asbestos-cement siding is also decumbent to chipping and bully, which is something to be aware of if you lot programme to paint your home. Fortunately, there are safe means to prepare and paint asbestos-cement siding, which we'll explore next.
Can You Force per unit area Wash Asbestos Siding?
Someday y'all paint the outside of a abode, it's skilful to give the siding a thorough force per unit area washing beforehand. Later on all, pressure washing removes stubborn dirt, grime, and soot, making any home wait good as new.
Nevertheless, pressure washing asbestos-cement siding on a high setting can cause potential chips, cracks, and the subsequent release of airborne particles. It tin can as well cause wet intrusion. Information technology can also cause moisture intrusion.
Some experts and homeowners believe it's prophylactic to pressure wash asbestos siding when using the everyman and softest setting. The gentler the pressure level wash setting, the fewer particles will go airborne.
If you decide to pressure wash asbestos siding, wear personal protective equipment. Article of clothing a filter respirator mask every bit opposed to a standard dust mask. Make sure the area is properly ventilated.
How to Safely Make clean Asbestos Siding without Pressure Washing
Some volition argue confronting pressure washing asbestos siding altogether. And then, what are safety alternatives to cleaning asbestos-cement siding?
A safe way to become about cleaning asbestos painting is to scrape down the surface and hand-wipe away dirt, grime, and other filth.
If y'all've decided to handwash your asbestos siding, you should scrape and scrub downwardly the siding with a hard-bristled brush soaked in a mild abrasive cleaner or sudsy dish detergent and warm water solution.
Break upwards the cleaning and scraping into sections and rinse the siding thoroughly presently after the scrub downwardly. Subsequently completing the unabridged project, give your siding one concluding rinsing. Let the siding to dry out at least ii to 3 days before beginning the painting process.
If you tin can avoid removing asbestos-cement siding, this is the safest approach. However, if the siding has cracks or is falling autonomously, err on the side of circumspection. You can further disrupt the asbestos siding and cause particles to get airborne. Article of clothing a filtration mask and ventilate the surrounding area when removing them yourself, or have a professional complete the job.
Once you've cleaned and prepared the site, it's time to choose a safe paint that volition help seal away the asbestos-cement siding.
Best Pigment for Asbestos Siding
Encapsulant paints are the all-time option for asbestos-cement siding considering they tin can help preclude deterioration and damage to the surface. They can also improve the siding's fire resistance. Encapsulant paint also works well on lead-based siding and surfaces.
These paints seal surfaces and provide a protective barrier between the exterior of your home and the surrounding environment. With the protective seal, encapsulant paint can prevent corking, chipping, and subsequently, the release of asbestos particles.
This type of paint works best on a dry and make clean surface. After sanding down and cleaning the siding, utilize a thick, water-based, 100% acrylic latex primer. This type of primer can farther seal away cracks, prevent peeling, and create a smoother finish.
Once you've practical the primer and allowed it to dry, it's time to pigment.
You tin find encapsulant paints at most warehouses and pigment stores, but calling upwards a local painting contractor for recommendations can exist helpful. Nearly contractors apply encapsulant paint by spraying it or rolling it on with a traditional back brushing technique.
After you've applied the encapsulant pigment (at least two coats), permit it to dry thoroughly. Employ a satin latex finish. The finishing coat volition not simply protect your dwelling house from moisture, rain, and snowfall merely as well improve the luminosity of the paint task altogether. Permit the siding to dry out for at least a week earlier you wash it again.
Do Safety & Diligence When Painting Asbestos Siding
Painting over asbestos-cement siding may audio unsafe, but in all authenticity, it is a cheaper alternative and poses significantly less adventure than removing asbestos siding altogether.
Nonetheless, it's essential to approach any asbestos-related project with condom and circumspection. If you plan to pigment over asbestos siding, we encourage you to follow the tips and prophylactic notes discussed in this article. We too encourage you to speak to asbestos removal professionals and painting contractors for further communication before starting the project.
After you lot've painted over your asbestos siding, nosotros'd love to hear how the experience went! Send the states a message and stay tuned for more abode improvement tips and tricks with Apparatus Analysts.
Source: https://applianceanalysts.com/painting-asbestos-siding/
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