Crazy question about AC siding

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Lily left the valley
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Crazy question about AC siding

Post by Lily left the valley »

We plan to remove ours at some point in the hopefully not too distant future. There was also a small stack of some still brand new left in the cellar when we moved in here.

I know AC is the devil, and it's crazy expensive and a hassle to properly get rid of it so no one could possible die from it. (Yes, some sarcasm there.)

However...I'm sure there is some thrifty person, possible even persons who have AC on their home, but some are busted, and maybe if they could get their hands on some free ones, that'd be great rather than buy the Maso replacements.

I have tried my darndest to find out if it is illegal to give them away. I can't find anything that says it can't be done. I couldn't even find anything that said it would be illegal to sell them either here in MA.

Does anyone know? If I put up an ad on CL, will the asbestos folks come to take me away? :romance-ballandchain:
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Ober51
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Re: Crazy question about AC siding

Post by Ober51 »

Speaking as someone with this siding, I searched up and down for someone willing to part with old stock. The new stuff is ridiculously expensive. I do see it for sale on CL every once in a while.

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Lily left the valley
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Re: Crazy question about AC siding

Post by Lily left the valley »

Ober51 wrote:Speaking as someone with this siding, I searched up and down for someone willing to part with old stock. The new stuff is ridiculously expensive. I do see it for sale on CL every once in a while.
Thanks for the input, Ober51.

I had seen a query similar to mine on Bob Villa's site which led to the same poster selling some through there because some folks were saying the same as you, but the post was old--'06 I think? I found a newer selling post recently though on the same site. The few times I did search on CL, I didn't see any, even in the Wanted section. I had looked into ReStore, but they won't take it, so I can't donate it there.

I wonder how tricky it would be to ship? I know they can crack/chip, so I'm not sure what would be needed to prevent that.

I guess I'll count up what we have of the new stuff, and take some pictures and put up a CL and freecycle ad to start. I know there are different sizes/styles, so folks will want pictures.

I'm hoping to take off a few rows of it later this year on the lower part of the porch once we figure out what we want to do for skirting. They ran it all the way down on three sides, and there's no real air circulation under the porch that way. Worse, the side that doesn't have it lets animals under, and we have kitties roaming the neighborhood, and some use it as a sandbox. :| That problem hasn't been as bad since they figured out someone is living here now, but it's still happening, just not as often.
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Olson185
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Re: Crazy question about AC siding

Post by Olson185 »

What is "AC siding"? I get the impression 'fiber cement' siding is being referenced.
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Lily left the valley
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Re: Crazy question about AC siding

Post by Lily left the valley »

Olson185 wrote:What is "AC siding"? I get the impression 'fiber cement' siding is being referenced.

I'm referring to asbestos cement sheet, a.k.a. AC sheet or fibro.

Fiber cement siding (a.k.a. fibre cement cladding in AU and UK) was made as a replacement for AC sheet that was still manufactured until the 1980s.

Our house is a mix of both, although the fiber is a very recent addition for only a handful of siding that perhaps broke. I don't know why they switched, since when we took ownership, there was a small stack of brand new siding of the AC in the cellar, and not the fiber variation. Maybe it was stored somewhere and forgotten until the final clean out before sale. :confusion-shrug:
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Re: Crazy question about AC siding

Post by Texas_Ranger »

A variety of fibre cement shingles for both roofing and siding is still in production, although not the specific pattern on your house! You can even still get the dreadful corrugated roofing sheets that were so popular in the 70s and 80s, usually in a dark brown.

One current example:
http://noam.equitone.com/us

Clapboards:
http://www.eternit.com.au/eterside-painted/

The original inventor:
http://www.eternit.at/produkte/fassade/kleinformat/

The corrugated panels I was talking about:
http://www.eternit.at/produkte/dach/wellplatten/

They were used for roofs, fences, railings and whatnot. Our former neighbour buried them in the ground supported by pieces of black pipe instead of building a proper retaining wall. Obviously you can't support two feet of ground plus roots with a piece of 1/2" pipe hammered into the ground every three feet or so, so the whole thing was leaning badly. The contraption was hidden by our wooden fence until that started to collapse and exposed the hot mess. I guess the neighbour raised the ground level in his yard considerably to get a level surface well after our fence was built. Our best guess is that the fence was early-70s vintage and the ingenious neighbour bought and remuddled the house in 1984. "Such a handy and industrious man!" another elderly neighbour praised him. She also told us that said industrious Mr. Weber did the asbestos roof in the blazing hot summer of 1984, all by himself.

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