Painting Asbestos Siding: What You Need to Know
This article will cover some common doubts people have when painting Asbestos siding. We will help you with what Asbestos siding is, Asbestos can siding be painted, and how to clean the Asbestos before painting.
Painting Asbestos siding makes the Asbestos more durable, preventing chips or cracks. It is much easier to paint Asbestos siding, just like painting house walls. How to paint totally depends on your individual preference. You can either paint by spraying or by using a paint roller. It is usually seen as easy to spray rather than roll, as it has grooves and textures.
What is Asbestos Siding?
People in the olden days used Asbestos combined with cement to create the siding texture and grooves. Asbestos has been popularly used for flooring, insulation, and siding for many years because of its fire resistance property, strength, and durability. One downside we commonly get to observe with asbestos siding is the risk it imposes when the fibers are embedded or encapsulated. Asbestos today is discouraged due to its health risks, like cancer, skin diseases, respiratory issues, and even death.
Can Asbestos Siding be Painted?
Yes, absolutely, the Asbestos siding can be painted. This is done in two common ways; one is by using a roller to paint the walls, and the other is by spraying the paint on the Asbestos siding. Elastomeric is an appropriate type of paint for Asbestos to protect from weather effects. It is hassle-free to paint Asbestos siding as the paint can easily be absorbed and adhered to the Asbestos in the siding. It is important to be cautious when painting the asbestos siding. This is a heads-up to follow safety precautions when painting the siding of your home or building. For example;
- Do not scrape or sand your Asbestos siding. It has a lot of harmful substances in the dust when scraped or sanded. It can even kill you.
- Make sure to wear protective coveralls like a dust mask, gloves, eye protectives, and an overall cover with clothes that can be disposed of after use.
- Also, keep the following items available and ready; water-filled buckets or mist spray bottles, sealants, disposable cleaning clothe or rag, and an asbestos-suitable container for waste.
- Avoid using any high-pressure cleaning or paint sprays.
- Make sure you don’t forget to repair any visible damages on the siding before you start painting them.
How to Clean Asbestos Siding Before Painting?
Cleaning the Asbestos before painting requires a few conditions and steps to follow. We are always advised to handle cleaning and painting works of Asbestos with proper expertise and knowledge. In case the right expertise and knowledge are not available, it is always better if we can get professional help. Here is how you can clean before the painting work is done;
- Firstly, make sure to remove any visible growth of fungus or moss on the siding surface. What you can do is mix 1:3 parts of bleach and water to spray over the growth area.
- The next step is to use a mild form of detergent or cleaning liquid and mix it with water to create a cleaning mixture. Now you can either spray the cleaning solution or fill it into a bucket, soak a sponge, and wipe the siding texture and grooves as convenient. And rinse with clean water when done.
- Now your Asbestos siding is ready as ever for a new coat of fresh paint.
How to Pick the Right Type of Paint for Asbestos Siding?
Choose a paint and primer that will seal the Asbestos and protect it from chipping or cracking easily. This damage can cause many harmful Asbestos particles to be released into the air. The best type of paint one can choose is encapsulated type or latex. These paints can protect the siding from damage and deterioration. This encapsulated paint works best on Asbestos-cement and Asbestos-lead combination.
One tub of encapsulated paint can cover nearly 100 sq feet of siding. This paint can be layered between 6-10 mm with long-lasting cover and protection. There is also the fiber lock bridge encapsulated paint that is non-flammable and reduces the risk attached to lead fumes.
How to Paint Asbestos Siding?
Before starting the painting process, make sure to wear all the necessary protective equipment as needed. This is to protect yourself from any dangers or harm caused by Asbestos.
- Start the painting process by cleaning the sidings of any dirt and debris. Use bleach and another mild detergent to remove the moss and fungus on the siding. Then let it dry by rinsing it with cold water.
- The next thing you can do is, observe the siding for any damages and repairs. When you have filled the gaps and other groove textures, move to the next step.
- The first step to applying the paint is clean the siding and let it dry well. Once the siding has dried, apply a thick layer of 100% acrylic latex primer that is water-based. This will help prevent the siding from any peels and cracks, forming a smooth finish.
- The next step is painting the siding with encapsulated paint or latex paint. Make sure you paint your siding with at least two coats of paint. You can either use a roller and brush the texture and grooves. Or you can also use the easy method of spraying the paint on the siding.
- Finally, end the process by applying a satin latex finish to protect the siding from any moisture and damage.
VIDEO CREDITS: Del irehabhomes YouTube Channel
Can you Scrape the Paint Off the Asbestos Siding?
Yes, you can scrape the paint off of Asbestos siding. But it is not something anyone would recommend you to do. The thing is, it is very harmful and hazardous to actually release those Asbestos particles or fiber into the environment. This act will definitely trigger the warning for health risks.
That is why we are advised not to scrape, sand, or scrub the Asbestos. It can cause breathing difficulty, cancer, skin irritation, and even death. Better get help from a professional on the matter and get advice on how to remove the existing paint from the siding.
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