Cut Hole In Asbestos Siding

The house was built in the 1920s but i have no idea how old the siding is.

Cut hole in asbestos siding.

But here s how you do it. Wet the surface down and use the tin snips to cut and break off small sections at a time. For a hole cutter the minimum to get is a carbide tipped hole saw and best for lots of holes are the hole cutters with tungsten carbide teeth. 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. The outside is covered with asbestos siding. The adjustable hole cutters from hole pro have tungsten carbide blades and i have cut 7 holes in asbestos and fiber cement board hardie certainteed etc using this hole cutter and a 18 volt cordless drill. Use a dry masonry blade in your circular saw the abrasive kind used to cut brick block.

Asbestos siding as it is on a house is perfectly safe. I know that this stuff is supposed to be safe as long as it s not crumbling but at some point i might want to make holes in it to add a kitchen or bathroom vent or maybe even add a window. Smooth off jagged edges with a sharp carpenter s rasp to keep asbestos particle sizes as large as possible. Mark the cut line with a pencil and straightedge.