ASBESTOS SIDING REMOVAL

State and Federal Regulations for the Removal of Asbestos Siding and Other Building Materials

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and certain state agencies oversee laws regulating the removal of asbestos materials, including asbestos-containing exterior siding. If asbestos materials are removed improperly, residents in the area are vulnerable to asbestos exposure and asbestos-related diseases.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer, asbestos lung cancer or asbestosis, please complete the form on this page to obtain vital information from our asbestos attorneys about your legal rights and options.

Update on the dangers of asbestos siding removal

For most of the 20th century, virtually every home, apartment complex, school, church and public office building was constructed with asbestos materials. While the addition of asbestos to these building materials made the structures more fire-resistant, their presence complicates renovation and demolition work.

Asbestos Material in Building Exteriors . . .

Until the late 1970s, asbestos was used in the construction of virtually every product used on building exteriors, including roof insulation, shingles, roof underlay and sheeting materials, stucco and vinyl siding. In some cases, asbestos was added to the concrete used to manufacture the bricks and mortar used in buildings with brick façades.

. . . and in Building Interiors

In building interiors, asbestos was used to insulate furnaces, boilers and heating pipes throughout both residential and commercial buildings. In addition, many older commercial buildings may have asbestos-containing plaster applied in hallways and stairwells, in texturized paints and in vinyl wallpapers.

Asbestos was also added to the glues and mastics used to apply floor tiles, wall tiles and backsplashes in kitchens in bathrooms. Asbestos materials were also commonly used in flooring materials, including vinyl flooring, floor leveling compounds and underlay materials in buildings that were not constructed with original hardwood floors.

Building repair is fraught with asbestos dangers

When buildings with these materials are renovated or demolished, the property owner must ensure that a properly licensed asbestos removal contractor is hired to test the building for all areas where asbestos-containing materials (ACM) are present. Federal and state regulations must also be followed with regard to the disposal of ACM debris.

If these regulations are not followed, all those in the area can be at risk to inhale asbestos fibers, which can cause serious or life-threatening diseases to develop many decades after they are first exposed (known as latency periods).

Asbestos has long been classified as a carcinogen (cancer-causing material). When asbestos fibers are inhaled, they remain in the lungs. Over a period of 30-40 years, the fibers eventually cause lung tissue to scar, which can eventually cause serious chronic breathing illness or cancer tumors to develop.

How Weitz & Luxenberg Can Help

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, we can help you obtain compensation for your illness by filing an lawsuit on your behalf.

Please complete the form on this page for a free and confidential review of your potential asbestos lawsuit, or request a free copy of our asbestos sourcebook. A Weitz & Luxenberg representative will contact you as soon as possible.