Stucco Asbestos Samples

One way a home’s energy efficiency and comfort can be improved is by adding insulation outboard of the wall sheathing. This is typically done in coordination with siding replacement. The siding and underlying moisture barrier are removed. A new mositure barrier is installed, ideally sealed as an air barrier, and new instulatin in applied. There are many different strategies for this which I’ll cover in a later post.

Some types of older cladding have materials in them that should be treated with care. For example, my own home has stucco cladding that was likely installed in the 1950s. This can contain asbestos. To get it tested I got three samples from different elevations. I used a diamond hole saw with a typical battery operated drill. It's pretty simple once you get used to it. I dropped the samples off at a testing lab and a week later had the results. Thankfully, all were negative. Similarly, old paints can contain lead. A respirator is essential when handling these materials and you should check with your municipality on disposal.