Any asbestos siding experts here?

[Builder]

The word asbestos freaks people out similar to the word nuclear. Even though in reality the risk is not that great, and blown out of proportion by those with environmental agenda's.

If these shingles do contain asbestos, from what I've read it's less that 1%. And the current regulations allow me to remove the siding, and put it at the curb for the town to properly dispose of.

I'd be doing all that work myself. I'm not afraid of the stuff, just concerned the regulations in 5 years could make it a nightmare to try and sell the house.

If I go and make an offer on it, and subtract what the cost of a contracting out siding removal, I simply won't get the house. So it's not really on the seller to deal with it, someone will come along and buy it, and not even ask or care about the siding. It's all on me on whether or not I want a potential future headache.

I'm trying to get under the $8000 tax credit here. And in NYS, it's common for a house closing to take 3 months. So I have to make my mind up pretty much now.

That's what i mean. It's more hysteria than anything. If it were really as big of a problem as the hysterical types like to make it, then the seller would be happy to compensate you. He knows it's not that big of a deal, so he's not going to take much, if anything off the selling price. He knows it's a small and relatively safe job to remove it. Replacing the siding, even with something cheap, like new vinyl siding is where the real cost is.

If it's a good deal, you should probably buy it as long as all your other due dilligence & inspections check out OK.

 

[ETD66SS]

Yeah, I personally have no issues. But all it takes is one hysterical neighbor raising **** to make it a big costly ordeal when/if I do decide to remove it.

I'm just a worry wart, for sure...

The cost to re-side would be minimal, as my brother owns a sawmill and can make me any kind of wood siding I'd want for this house. And I have a 63 acre lot with many evergreen trees to harvest for siding.

As usual, just worried about others freaking out and causing me grief. Or, leaving the siding on it, and in 5 years the regulations become such that I take a big hit on the sale price.

 

[Builder]

Yeah, I personally have no issues. But all it takes is one hysterical neighbor raising **** to make it a big costly ordeal when/if I do decide to remove it.

I'm just a worry wart, for sure...

The cost to re-side would be minimal, as my brother owns a sawmill and can make me any kind of wood siding I'd want for this house. And I have a 63 acre lot with many evergreen trees to harvest for siding.

As usual, just worried about others freaking out and causing me grief. Or, leaving the siding on it, and in 5 years the regulations become such that I take a big hit on the sale price.

If you are truly believing it will be worse (stiffer regulations) in 5 yrs, then it's better to do it now, than 5 years from now.

I think the asbestos hysteria is all but over and done with. Sure the litigation for interior/work place exposure is still red hot, but everyone with common sense knows exterior exposure is of little concern.

Good luck with it.

 

[MarkV]

A house built in the 70's was on the tail end of the asbestos use in siding. You will only be sure by having it tested. As you already know asbestos embedded in concrete is inert and not harmful at all unless you turn it into dust by cutting. It would not stop the deal for me.

MarkV

 

[ETD66SS]

I dropped off the sample for testing, I'll know for sure tomorrow. $110 later...

 

[ETD66SS]

I got the results back, the siding is 8.50% Chrysotile Asbestos.

 

[RRILEY]

You can put siding over it and not bother with EPA about removal and the cost involved with disposal and neighbors.

 

[ETD66SS]

You can put siding over it and not bother with EPA about removal and the cost involved with disposal and neighbors.

Quite true. But in ~5 years when I go to sell the house I need to disclose that the asbestos siding is under the new siding. So if I buy this house, I want the asbestos gone, so it can not affect a future selling price.

My preferred course of action is to see how much it would cost to have professionals remove the asbestos siding, and see if I can get the seller to come down a bit. (unlikley)

I'm not afraid of the materials, just the threat of lawyers years down the road when they have pictures of me removing the siding 20years ago, and some old neighbor has lung cancer because I didn't remove it to the letter, etc. Highly unlikely I know, but I'm a worry wart.

 

[LBrown59]

The house was built in 1972.

And no, this siding is not flaking, it's in really good shape. It's very hard and about .340" thick.

There are just some pieces busted off here and there on the bottom course from lawn mowing, etc.

I'm fine leaving the siding on. This house for me would be a starter house/5 year thing until I'd start to build the house at my lot.

I'm really just concerned about it being a bad selling point ~5 years down the road.

Unfortunately I don't have a more closeup shot of the siding on the house than this:

http://i1.e-net.com/mls/import/BuffaloNY/property/full/153/344153_1000.jpg

I don't blame you I wouldn't buy a place that has asbestos in it.

 

[Builder]

I'd buy it in a heartbeat if the price is right. I've bought & sold dozens of houses and asbestos siding was only a small distraction.

Defective synthetic stucco, bad copper plumbing or other problems I've encountered were much worse.