Asbestos-cement siding — frequently referred to by the brand name Transite — was a popular exterior cladding from the 1920s through the 1970s. If your home has rigid cement-like shingles or panels installed before the 1980s, they may be asbestos-cement.
What Asbestos-Cement Siding Looks Like
- Rigid, brittle shingles or panels made of cement rather than wood, vinyl, or fiber-cement (modern fiber-cement is asbestos-free).
- Often a shingle format roughly 12" × 24", with a wavy, striated, or wood-grain-embossed surface.
- Gray when unpainted; commonly painted over.
- Hard and brittle — it cracks and shatters rather than dents, and is heavier and more rigid than vinyl or aluminum siding.
- Frequently found on homes built or re-sided between the 1940s and 1970s.
How to Tell
Age (pre-1980s) plus the rigid, brittle, cement character are strong indicators. Modern fiber-cement siding (e.g., HardiePlank) looks similar but is asbestos-free — the difference is age and manufacturer, which is why lab testing is the only way to confirm.
Why Removal Is Risky
Intact, painted asbestos-cement siding is relatively stable. The danger comes from breaking, cutting, drilling, sanding, or power-washing it — all of which release fiber. Never cut or grind suspected asbestos siding, and never pressure-wash it.
What to Do
- Don’t cut, drill, sand, break, or power-wash suspected asbestos siding.
- Test before residing, renovation, or demolition.
- Use a licensed abatement contractor for removal.
Occupational Exposure
Siding installers, carpenters, and demolition workers who cut, nailed, and tore off asbestos-cement siding and shingles were exposed to fiber released during cutting and removal.
If you were diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or another asbestos-related disease and were exposed to asbestos while installing, cutting, or removing asbestos-cement siding, you may be entitled to compensation through asbestos trust funds and civil litigation.