New Old Stock

After an especially long Indian Summer here in the Northeast, the temperature is finally starting to drop some.  I've been lucky with the weather and despite some unforeseen delays, was able to get through at least one of the myriad exterior tasks that need doing on my old house.

The new old sill is in place, the new old sheathing has been installed, the Vycor and felt paper  has been applied, and now the new old asbestos shingles have been hung.

One of the unfortunate improvements that was made to the house sometime back in the 50s or 60s was covering the sides with cement asbestos shingles.  This type of siding was once as popular as vinyl siding is today.  Unfortunately for the people who worked in the factories that produced this stuff, it was discovered too late that high exposure to asbestos particles is a serious health hazard.  Today, asbestos as a manufacturing material has all but disappeared, but there was a time when it was used in all kinds of products.  Asbestos, which is a naturally occurring mineral, has the properties of being heat resistant, fibrous, and very strong. 

The shingles that cover my house are made using a non-friable asbestos-cement mixture, molded into 24"x12" tiles with a textured pattern on one side.  The tiles came in various colors straight from the factory and were face-nailed using galvanized nails right over the existing clapboards.

In a utilitarian sense, these cement-asbestos shingles are a good siding.  They're fireproof, strong, and have an insulating quality. Aesthetically, however, they leave something to be desired.  I've seen some houses with asbestos siding that look quite nice, but most look like they're waiting to be improved.  Perhaps it's simply the knowledge that these shingles caused health problems that make them ugly.  I would like to get rid of them one of these days, but that's a big project that's going to have to wait.

Replacing the shingles I had removed to expose the sill was the last task of this repair job. Years of being near the ground and getting splashed with rain had left the bottom row of shingles heavily stained with mold and/or algae. A while back I was happy to discover two bundles of new old stock asbestos shingles up in the loft of the barn which meant I didn't have to spend a lot of time trying to clean up the stained ones.  The only problem with using the new ones is that they stand out against the rest of the shingles that are weathered and faded.  That problem will be solved when I get around to painting the exterior.

What matters to me now is knowing that the sill is repaired and protected from rain and moisture.

handyman