If necessary carefully lift siding pieces with pry tool to expose nail heads.
How to safely cut asbestos siding.
Cut a 45 degree bevel onto the edge joint of asbestos cement siding with a large carpenter s rasp.
Use slow deliberate strokes with the saw under water trickling from a hose pipe.
The old style siding could be cut with a knife as the above poster stated make your score and lay on bench with the score on the edge of the bench and pop the shingle to snap it.
Lead paint wasn t outlawed until 1978 so it s sure to be present on siding going back to the 1950s.
Remove pieces of siding by pulling nails or cutting nail heads so as to minimize breakage.
Have a helper move a running hose to follow the rasp while cutting.
Cut a 45 degree bevel onto the edge joint of asbestos cement siding with a large carpenter s rasp.
Asbestos siding as it is on a house is perfectly safe.
Use a hand saw with a water stream and wear a good quality dust mask.
Cut asbestos cement corrugated roofing material with a pair of heavy dolphin nosed tin snips.
Asbestos dust which is what would be created by sawing it is the dangerous part.
If you absolutely have to cut it do not use power tools.
4 1 2 diamond blade in a grinder.
Breakage releases asbestos fibers.
Have a helper move a running hose to follow the rasp while cutting.
Covering old asbestos shingles with new siding may seem like an option too but it s not easy to do safely.
Use slow deliberate strokes to keep dust down.
Asbestos shingles are relatively strong but brittle.
If siding should begin to crack or crumble immediately wet the cracked or broken areas with the pint size spray bottle or garden pump sprayer.