When to Remove Asbestos Siding and When Leave It On

         Many houses in Hamilton NJ and West Windsor NJ still have asbestos siding on their walls. Asbestos  was very popular product back in the fifties and sixties, then in the eighties we found out that asbestos can be harmful to our health. So now many people ask a question what to do about that asbestos siding on their house. Let's see when to remove it or leave it on.

       When you own a house or just bought one with asbestos siding on it, don't be upset about that too much. Asbestos siding in most cases is a "non-friable" material, it means that siding is not easily releases it's fibers into the air, as long as it is not disturbed by cutting it with a saw. When you don't cut it or break it into small pieces, asbestos siding is not going to pose any threat to your health. The new vinyl siding can be easily installed over top of the asbestos siding. But before the new vinyl siding installation check with your township and see if it is allowed to leave asbestos siding on. In the State of New Jersey  in Hamilton, Princeton and West Windsor Townships it is allowed to install new vinyl siding on top of the existing asbestos siding. 

      Anyway, why to Remove Asbestos Siding from the walls of your house: 

• When the asbestos siding is removed, you can check the soundness of the walls. Sometimes asbestos siding is a cause of water leaks. You should inspect areas around the windows of your house, that's the most probable places for water leaks. The other way to see if something bad going on under the asbestos siding is by looking at the walls, when you can see some bowed places on your walls, then it means that the water got trapped behind the siding and damaged the plywood, so to be safe, it is better to remove asbestos siding.  
• Remove asbestos siding  when you think and strongly believe, that it is harmful in any form or state, no matter what. When even the small thought about that staff wakes you up at night, then just like in overall life, whenever you feel uneasy about something and you want to make peace with yourself it is much better to get rid of that something that keeps you awake at night.  
• Remove asbestos siding, when you are tired of painting and maintaining it. This type of siding has to be painted every five to seven years, it is not maintenance free product like vinyl siding. Asbestos siding is fragile by it's nature, if the tree branch falls or a baseball occasionally hits the wall, you may have a cracked asbestos siding panel and it is going to be hard to find new siding piece to replace it. 

   Let's see when to Leave Asbestos Siding On:

• When asbestos siding is  in good shape and you don't mind maintaining it. As long as this material is not disturbed, it can stay on the walls of your house for a long period of time. Asbestos siding does not rut, burn or contracts. 
• When there is  desire to remove it but there is no money to do it.  Asbestos  siding removal is an expensive endeavor. In the State of New Jersey, it is allowed to perform removal of asbestos siding by a homeowner or subcontractor, the asbestos removal license  is not required. In Hamilton, NJ and West Windsor NJ Townships, there are are strict rules for the asbestos disposal. When our company does the asbestos removal, before the vinyl siding installation, we order special dumpster for asbestos. The labour for removal and dumpster can add about $2100-$2900 to the total price of the siding project, the extra expense depends on the size of the house.  
• Asbestos siding provides better insulation for the walls. When you want to better insulate your house and save some money, you may decide to install  vinyl siding on top of the existing asbestos siding. In that case you add some extra insulation on to the walls of your house. As a rule, when new vinyl siding is installed on top of the asbestos, the three eight insulation  underlayment has to be installed behind it, so it adds even more to the energy efficiency of your house.  

          All in all, it is for you to decide what to do. We provided some clues about asbestos siding removal, but as always we keep the door open for you, so you can make your own decision, which reflects your goals and desires. 

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