How to Remove Asbestos Siding

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: December 30, 2019 References

You might need to remove asbestos siding to remodel or repair your home. If this is the case, it’s important to take some safety precautions to protect yourself and others from coming into contact with asbestos particles. First, prepare your work area and put on protective gear, then use the right method to remove the siding safely and minimize the amount of asbestos dust in the air. Finally, dispose of the removed siding correctly at a hazardous waste disposal facility and clean everything you didn’t throw away very thoroughly, including yourself!

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Protecting Yourself and Others

1
Lay 6-mil plastic sheeting down on the ground around the building. Spread at least 1 layer of plastic sheeting on the ground wherever you will be removing the asbestos siding. This will catch debris and give you a place to put the siding as you remove it.^{[1]
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- You can get 6-mil plastic sheeting at a home improvement center. It is the most durable plastic for construction projects because it’s strong enough to resist punctures from things like nails and other sharp debris.
2
Put on protective coveralls, gloves, goggles, shoe covers, and a respirator. Wear a one-piece disposable coverall suit with a hood as well as disposable shoe covers. Put on disposable work gloves, safety goggles, and a respirator with a HEPA filter.^{[2]
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- You can get all of the necessary protective gear online or at a home improvement center.
- It’s best to use as much disposable protective gear as possible because everything will get contaminated with asbestos. That way, you can just get rid of everything safely with the rest of the waste when you are done with the removal process.
- You need a respirator that is at least a half-mask, but you could also get one that is full-mask style and includes a clear protective shield to cover your eyes.
Warning: It’s not recommended to have a beard when you are removing asbestos because there is no way to protect it from getting asbestos particles stuck in it.

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3
Create a safe zone with signs or warning tape to keep people away. Establish a perimeter around the area where you will be working by setting up signs or stretching warning tape around it. Do not allow anyone who is not wearing protective gear inside the zone while you are working.^{[3]
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- You can get fluorescent yellow warning tape that says something like “WARNING ASBESTOS” or “CAUTION ASBESTOS” to stretch around your work area. It is readily available online or you might be able to find it anywhere that sells protective gear like respirators.
4
Keep all of the building’s windows and doors closed. Double-check that all the windows and doors of the building you will be working on are closed. Make sure that they do not get opened at all while you are removing the siding.^{[4]
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- This is very important to ensure that no asbestos particles enter the home and contaminate it.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Removing the Siding Safely

1
Spray down all the siding you will be removing with water to minimize dust. Use a hose, ideally fitted with a spray nozzle, to thoroughly saturate the siding of the building. This will help decrease the number of asbestos particles in the air as you remove the siding.^{[5]
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- Make sure to keep wetting down the siding as you work to remove it so it doesn’t dry out.
2
Work your way from top to bottom and left to right. Use a ladder to reach the top piece of siding. Start at the left and work your way to the right until you have removed all the top pieces of siding, then work your way down 1 layer at a time.
- Have someone hold the ladder for you at the bottom while you are removing the siding at the top of the building.
3
Pry out nails and remove whole pieces of siding. Use a flat pry bar to pull out the nails and remove the pieces of siding carefully as they come loose. Each piece of siding overlaps the piece below it, so when you remove 1 piece it will expose the nails attaching the piece below it to the building.^{[6]
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- Don’t use power tools to remove asbestos siding as they will generate a lot more dust and will potentially break the siding.
4
Set the pieces gently down on the 6-mil plastic sheeting as you go. Lay each piece of asbestos siding you remove down carefully on the plastic. Don’t throw pieces of siding to the ground or they might break.^{[7]
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- Do your best to keep the siding in whole pieces. Any breakage will cause more asbestos particles to enter the air.
5
Keep spraying the removed siding with water to keep it wet. Saturate the piles of removed siding as you work to keep the number of asbestos particles in the air down. Don’t ever let it get to the point of drying out.^{[8]
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- You will have to just keep an eye on the removed siding to make sure it doesn’t dry out. Depending on how hot or cold it is where you are working, you will have to spray it more or less often.
6
Seal up the removed siding in 6-mil plastic bags and label them. Place the pieces of asbestos siding inside 6-mil plastic bags and close the tops with duct tape. Label the sealed bags with asbestos warning labels.^{[9]
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- Asbestos warning labels are available at home improvement or hardware stores.
Tip: As an alternative to 6-mil plastic bags, you can stack pieces of whole siding on 6-mil plastic sheeting, then wrap it up tightly and seal all the sides with duct tape.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Disposing of the Siding and Cleaning Up

1
Seal all disposable protective gear in 6-mil plastic bags to get rid of. Take off your disposable coveralls, gloves, and shoe covers and take the filter out of your respirator. Put them all in a 6-mil plastic bag and seal the top with duct tape or wrap it all up in a 6-mil plastic sheet and tape it closed.^{[10]
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- Make sure to label the bag with asbestos warning labels as well. The disposable protective gear must be treated just like any other asbestos waste.
2
Dispose of all asbestos-contaminated material at a hazardous waste facility. Call your local dump and ask if they receive asbestos waste. If they don't, find a local hazardous waste disposal center where you can drop the waste off or use a service that will pick it up.^{[11]
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- If you aren’t sure where to dispose of the asbestos siding in your area, you can do a quick search online with a term like “asbestos waste disposal Seattle” to pull up hazardous waste disposal sites and services near you.
3
Wash all tools and gear used to remove the siding with soap and water. Thoroughly wash your pry bar, goggles, respirator mask, and anything else you used while working with the asbestos with water and liquid dish soap. This will remove any asbestos particles clinging to the tools and gear so it is safe to use for other projects.^{[12]
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- If you use a rag or sponge to clean your tools and gear, dispose of it afterward.
Warning: Don’t bring any asbestos-contaminated tools or gear inside your home with you. Always clean it first to make sure you don’t bring any particles inside with you.
4
Shower thoroughly after you are finished working. Shower immediately after each work session during which you came into contact with asbestos. Scrub your body with soap and wash your hair with shampoo thoroughly to remove any asbestos particles.^{[13]
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- Do not wait to do this because anything you touch after working with asbestos could get contaminated.