Was Roofing Material Made Of Asbestos

In the production of cement sheet thin rigid cement is reinforced using asbestos to form cement sheets.

Was roofing material made of asbestos.

Asbestos is made up of microscopic mineral fibers that when inhaled into the lungs can cause serious respiratory disease and cancer. Found as an underlayment for both pitched and flat roofing. In the 1950s the national gypsum company added corrugated asbestos roofing to its gold bond line of products cementing the building material s popularity with home builders farmers and factory owners alike. Further the cement sheet contains asbestos fibres and cement.

Asbestos is an excellent electrical insulator and is highly heat. Asphalt tar paper this is probably the most prevalent acm asbestos containing material found when doing remodels for roofing projects. In the early 1920s american roofing material manufacturers johns mansville carey eternit and century were all offering at least one asbestos cement roofing shingle to their customers. Letters and guidance from the applicability determination index that clarify how the asbestos neshap applies to the removal of asbestos containing roofing material.

Manufacturers from about 1940 mid 1970 s used asbestos in the this base material. Asbestos particles made asphalt based roofing durable and long lasting. The use of asbestos cement roof shingles was growing at a steady rate in the united states. Many tradesmen suffered high levels of toxic exposure when working with asbestos felt in the past and it can lead to serious long term health consequences when it is uncovered in old buildings.

It was one of the most used types of asbestos containing material for roof building mainly as an underlayment. Asbestos was easy to work with widely sourced and low cost to purchase. It is mainly important as a roofing material. And being a inexpensive material many homes were built with an asbestos roof.

Over the following decades several more companies began manufacturing corrugated sheets and sheathing made from asbestos cement. Builders commonly used asbestos felt as a floor backing and roofing material during much of the 20th century. You may need a pdf reader to view some of the files on this page. Back in the early 1940s asbestos was used extensively in homes.

It is made of a mix of cement and asbestos fibers and as the majority of the materials which contain asbestos it is only dangerous when damaged and in poor condition. See epa s about pdf page to learn more. Asbestos wouldn t rot rust conduct electricity or react to heat. It is black and pretty difficult to remove.

That solved structural issues for heavy roof loads. Using asbestos in roofing had many other advantages.