What kind of siding was used on old houses?

Popular in the late forties and fifties, panels of aluminum siding were also made to look like clapboards. For most of the housing market, aluminum siding has been replaced by vinyl, but it still covers many existing mid-century homes. It's fire- and insect-proof, won't rot, and is easy to paint and clean.

What type of siding do old houses have?

What kind of siding was used in the 60's?

Homeowners Go Crazy for Vinyl in the 1960s

From the 1940s to the 1970s, aluminum was the most common material for siding.

What kind of siding was used in the 50s?

Fiber cement, cedar ridge, aluminum and vinyl siding were popular in the 1950s. Short of re-siding your house, the best way to update the look is by repainting with more modern colors. Aluminum, fiber cement and cedar ridge siding all take paint well.

What kind of siding was used in the 70's?

4) Asbestos Siding

When used as a siding, asbestos fibers were mixed with Portland Cement and pressed together to form what we know as asbestos siding. This type of siding was manufactured up to the late 70's, until it was deemed to be a health risk.

Old House Problems: Should I Take Off the Vinyl Siding or Keep it?

What is asbestos siding called?

Asbestos lumber — also called asbestos cement sheathing, it was used in siding materials such as false brick facing and shingles.

When was asbestos siding used on homes?

Asbestos siding was a very popular product back in the 1950s and 1960s where siding shingles were traditionally reinforced with asbestos fibers.

How do you match old siding?

Finding out how to match replacement vinyl siding with existing siding is a task in itself, but it can be done. Take the broken vinyl siding piece to a paint store to get the color matched. Apply a coat of acrylic primer and a coat of acrylic house paint to match the color of the house siding.

How can you tell if old siding has asbestos?

How do I know if my roofing or siding contains asbestos? Look for asbestos markings on the roofing or siding material or the packages in which they came, or call the manufacturer. Another alternative is to hire a Minnesota certified asbestos inspector to sample the material and submit it for laboratory analysis.

When was Masonite siding used?

In the 1930s and 1940s, Masonite was used for applications including doors, roofing, walls, desktops, and canoes. It was sometimes used for house siding. Similar "tempered hardboard" is now a generic product made by many forest product companies.

Is asbestos siding toxic?

Asbestos exposure, especially over an extended period of time, can cause mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer, among other conditions. Asbestos is most dangerous when the fibers are airborne and are inhaled. These are serious dangers to your health that you need to be aware of.

How do you cover asbestos siding?

Wrap asbestos siding in 6-mil thick plastic sheeting and secure the plastic with duct tape, or place the debris in heavy duty plastic bags. Dispose of the asbestos properly at a landfill, or contact your local waste collection service to find out if they will pick up asbestos material.

Can you still buy hardboard siding?

Since hardboard siding is no longer made, you will have to find other kinds of siding replacement. And while you can get fiber-cement or vinyl replacement siding for the affected area, you would definitely notice a difference in siding thickness and texture.

What type of siding was used in the 1940s?

Popular in the late forties and fifties, panels of aluminum siding were also made to look like clapboards. For most of the housing market, aluminum siding has been replaced by vinyl, but it still covers many existing mid-century homes. It's fire- and insect-proof, won't rot, and is easy to paint and clean.

What kind of siding was used in the 30s?

Individual square, rectangular, and hexagonal shingles dominated, although long planks resembling clapboard were offered by the late 1930s. The surfaces of siding produced in the 1920s and early 1930s were smooth. Textured finishes, particularly wood-grain patterns, were available beginning in 1937 (figure 7).

What is the old wood siding called?

Double Ogee Siding

These products were usually shiplapped, but also appeared in tongue-and-groove versions. Double ogee was common by 1910. Double ogee is typically face-nailed above the rabbet edge with a single nail, though wide patterns may require nails on both edges.

Does asbestos siding look like wood?

Asbestos was particularly prevalent in siding that resembles shingles or was made to look like wood grain. If your siding has these characteristics, then asbestos could be present.

Can you nail into asbestos siding?

Some experts recommend screwing, rather than nailing, when new siding is installed over existing asbestos-cement siding. If the shingles are to be removed, they should be wetted during the process to prevent fibers from becoming airborne, and they must be properly disposed of at a landfill.

Can I paint asbestos siding?

Painting asbestos siding is often a much better alternative than trying to remove it. It's not difficult at all to paint asbestos siding, as one of its benefits is that paint easily adheres to it and it is very durable and can last for decades without chipping or cracking.

How do I know if I have fiber cement siding?

The key to tell if you have fiber cement siding is to check for a wood-grain pressing. Older models of asbestos siding used a similar approach to make the siding look natural—which makes sense, because fiber cement siding was made to replace asbestos.

How do I know if my siding is vinyl or aluminum?

Aluminum siding can be distinguished from vinyl siding by visual inspection. Any dents in the siding are a clue that it is aluminum, as opposed to vinyl, which may show cracks or breaks. Lightly tapping on the siding can also help determine what the material is.

What happens if you touch asbestos siding?

Health Risks of Asbestos Siding

If asbestos is inert, there's absolutely no danger; you can touch, lick, or hold asbestos house siding with absolutely no risk of contracting mesothelioma, asbestosis, or other lung diseases and cancers linked to exposure to asbestos.

Can you live in a house with asbestos siding?

Is it safe to live in a house that has asbestos siding? Yes, as long as the material isn't disturbed, and the asbestos fibers stay contained within the cement, asbestos siding is safe. Asbestos siding can remain in perfect condition for 50–80 years or more.

How many years does asbestos siding last?

How long does asbestos cement siding last? You can expect asbestos-cement siding to last 80 years or more. It was used extensively from the 1940s through the '60s, but not produced after the ban by the EPA on construction products that contain asbestos in 1973.