Adding asbestos to the cement shingles gave them more strength and resistance to fire as well as rot and termite resistance due to the nature of the product.
Striped cement asbestos siding shingles.
If it is a problem there are two types of corrections.
If the asbestos material is in good shape and will not be disturbed do nothing.
Asbestos is an older material that was commonly used in siding and insulation for houses.
Asbestos cement roofing shingles and siding products are not likely to release asbestos fibers unless sawed dilled or cut.
It is available in a variety of sizes and shapes to match many of the old siding shingles installed over the last 60 years.
It was a very effective insulation but it has the unfortunate side effect of causing cancer.
Because fiber cement siding manufactured in north america after around 1978 was made without using asbestos in those later products and because those non asbestos fiber cement shingles included products that by eye were an exact visual match for their older asbestos containing brothers and sisters already installed a building built.
The use of asbestos siding shingles was a popular one that was used in the us from the early part of the 20th century until the 1970s.
A typical procedure is to install furring strips on the existing wall avoiding breaking the existing siding.
A common remodeling practice is to install new vinyl or aluminum siding over cement asbestos shingle siding as well as over many other older siding materials when the old siding has become damaged leaky or cosmetically ugly.