Many asbestos roofs and siding are damaged cracked or broken.
Asbestos siding and asphalt shingles house.
Asbestos was banned in 1989 so as the buildings that incorporated it age their roofing and siding will fall into disrepair.
The siding was made by combining cement with asbestos which is a naturally occurring mineral that is fibrous in nature and fireproof.
Finally in 1989 asbestos became illegal when the environmental protection agency epa issued an asbestos ban and phase out rule.
Asphalt based roof shingle material on an organic paper mat or asphalt on hardboard siding products were later supplanted by cement asbestos siding shingles then aluminum siding and steel siding then currently by vinyl siding.
You can t drive screws and nails through them without pre drilling.
This can release fibers into the air.
Instead cover the shingles with polystyrene foam insulation panels then hang the new vinyl siding using 2 in long nails.
Asbestos shingles are relatively strong but brittle.
The most common and least expensive solution is to leave the original asbestos shingles in place and remove only the aluminum siding.
This way you ll avoid the hazardous dust created by tearing the shingles off.
Asbestos siding in particular however has a tendency to chip crack and break with normal wear and tear of family life.
Let the siding dry then prime and paint with the best exterior latex you can find.