Asbestos siding question?

Question

I am new here so I apologize in advance if I posted in the wrong forum. I have a rental property that was built in 1951 and still has the asbestos siding on it. My question is: can I put vinyl siding over it or does it need to removed first? There is no damage to the asbestos that I can see. However, it is in need of painting. I plan on holding onto this property long term and didn't know if it would be cost efficient to put vinyl siding up or just paint it? I know that cost will vary from contractor to contractor and state to state. But has anyone had any experience with asbestos that can give me a ballpark on cost of putting vinyl siding up. The home is small (approx 800 SF). Please let me know what additional information is needed for a valid response. And thanks in advance for anyone that takes time to give me any advice.

Just Don · Answer

I am saying whats best for 'me' 'here'.  We can still get rid of it without major expense.  Have to put half dozen sheets in a double black plastic garbage bags and let our landfill know its coming,,,other than that its not any more expensive.

NOW, compare that with MORE restrictive regs later in life,,plus HIGH priced removal stuff.  PLUS the cost of taking off siding to get to it,plus uneven broken siding behind vinyl which can only fall DOWN and will wedge and double up.

Taking it off gets your windows and doors to be able to be sealed better,,,application of Tyvek or similar is a great asset.

Its easy to do NOW,isnt cost prohibitive and your DONE with it!!  Thats my story,,,and I am sticking to it!!

The most expensive part is cost of black garbage bags.  and that isnt so bad,just knowing you did it right.

As to painting it,,it lasts well on it and looks good too,,just more DATED THAN  orange shag carpet.  Vinyl OR cement board is a superior siding!! The slate breaks.  ONLY reason I took it off last house was it was drilled or blown in foam 30 years ago and was ruined and leaking.  On a rental, its okay,on a flip,not-so-much!!(defined ANY sale)

Kevin M · Answer

Jason,
You can put vinyl over asbestos,its not as hard as people make it out to be.i have heard some say you have to predrill holes for the nails,this is simply not true.when you nail most pieces will just crack and stay in place.the cost of materials is around $100 a square(10x10area)this includes everything to do that square ex..j channel,corner posts,starter,undersill.youll also want to use fanfold insulation3/8 or 1/2inch.cost is about $14sq.labor varies from region to region but in these times you can get someone to do it for $40-50sq just buy your own materials.good luck

Jon Holdman · Answer

Here's another thread on this topic: Vinyl Siding Over Asbestos

Mark N.A · Answer

Don't mess with removing the asbestos siding.

The cost efficiency of 'painting' versus 'vinyl siding' is your call.  The advantage of putting up vinyl siding is you can add another layer of insulation, thus keeping your tenant's energy bills lower.

To get a cost for your area of installing vinyl siding get three or four estimates.

Asbestos siding question?

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