How To Safely Cut Asbestos Siding

Cut a 45 degree bevel onto the edge joint of asbestos cement siding with a large carpenter s rasp.

How to safely cut asbestos siding.

Cut asbestos cement corrugated roofing material with a pair of heavy dolphin nosed tin snips. Have a helper move a running hose to follow the rasp while cutting. If siding should begin to crack or crumble immediately wet the cracked or broken areas with the pint size spray bottle or garden pump sprayer. The newer siding will not cut this way with out breaking.

Breakage releases asbestos fibers. Let the siding dry then prime and paint with the best exterior latex you can find. Covering old asbestos shingles with new siding may seem like an option too but it s not easy to do safely. Asbestos siding as it is on a house is perfectly safe.

If necessary carefully lift siding pieces with pry tool to expose nail heads. Asbestos dust which is what would be created by sawing it is the dangerous part. Use a hand saw with a water stream and wear a good quality dust mask. Lead paint wasn t outlawed until 1978 so it s sure to be present on siding going back to the 1950s.

Have a helper move a running hose to follow the rasp while cutting. Remove pieces of siding by pulling nails or cutting nail heads so as to minimize breakage. Asbestos shingles are relatively strong but brittle. 4 1 2 diamond blade in a grinder.

The old style siding could be cut with a knife as the above poster stated make your score and lay on bench with the score on the edge of the bench and pop the shingle to snap it. Use slow deliberate strokes to keep dust down. Cut a 45 degree bevel onto the edge joint of asbestos cement siding with a large carpenter s rasp.