Roof shingles often contained asbestos

Asbestos Roof Shingles

Asbestos-cement roof shingles are manufactured from a base material mixture of asbestos fibers and hydraulic or Portland cement. The end result is a rigid, durable, and fireproof roof shingle that won't warp or rot-problems commonly associated with wooden shingles-and the asbestos product is equally immune to damage caused by insects. When first introduced in the latter part of the nineteenth century, and for many decades thereafter, asbestos roof shingles were considered to be an invaluable resource for architects and builders alike. Asbestos roof shingles offered an inexpensive, and in many ways, superior alternative to the traditional roof coverings of the era.

Asbestos roof shingles are much lighter and less expensive than shingles made from slate or clay, two popular roofing materials widely used before and after the turn of the twentieth century. This reduced weight and increased cost-effectiveness caused asbestos shingles to be used extensively throughout Europe in the late 1800s, and very soon thereafter, the cementitious product would be in equal demand in the United States.

A Patented Process Brings Asbestos Roof Shingles to America

The process by which asbestos shingles were first manufactured was patented in Europe in the year 1900 by Ludwig Hatschek, an Austrian inventor whose patent had been reissued in the United States in 1907. As with any building product or material, its availability, performance, and cost are the three criteria that govern widespread acceptance by the building industry, and asbestos roof shingles entered the American building materials market with a high score in all three categories. Hatschek's process allowed for a low-cost asbestos-cement mixture to be formed into sheet goods that could be cut into individual roof shingles that offer the following desirable qualities:

Fireproof: asbestos roof shingles will not burn. The spread of fire from one structure to another was of particular concern to all who resided in turn of the twentieth century communities where truly effective firefighting techniques were still a thing of the future.
Lightweight: asbestos roof shingles are significantly lighter than slate or clay, and as a result, handling, shipping, and installation costs are lower.
Durability: while asbestos roof shingles can't match the centuries-long endurance of slate, asbestos shingles are expected to last a minimum of 30 years, and many asbestos shingle roofs have been found to be serviceable after 60 years or more.
Cost-effective: asbestos roof shingles offered substantial cost savings over other non-combustible roofing materials such as slate or clay.

Asbestos Roof Shingles Offered Color and Texture

By the early 1920s, the demand for asbestos-cement roof shingles in the United States began to grow at a steady rate. American roofing material manufacturers such as Johns-Manville, Carey, Eternit, and Century, all major players in the industry at the time, offered some type of asbestos-cement roofing shingles to their customers. It was soon discovered that colored pigments could be rolled or pressed onto the asbestos-cement sheet goods, creating a choice of hues that further added to the overall appeal of the product.

The use of asbestos shingles was further promoted when it was learned that wood grain and other types of patterns could be stamped onto the product. Color and texture soon became standard components to the already popular shingle, and its presence was everywhere in America until asphalt based roofing products began to achieve market dominance in the late 1950s and early ‘60s.

Some Problems Associated with Asbestos Roof Shingles

Any single building product or material will have its pros and cons. Whether it be the cumbersome and excessive weight of natural stone or the skin irritation of fiberglass insulation, no building material offers a perfect solution, and asbestos shingles provide no exception to this rule. While they are very durable, asbestos shingles are also quite brittle and fracture easily under relatively minute amounts of pressure. A work person who accidentally drops a power tool or hammer while on an asbestos shingle roof can easily shatter the material he or she is treading upon.

Another drawback to asbestos shingles is the reduced resistance to moisture permeability that occurs over time-very old shingles will actually retain moisture, and quite commonly, mold growth is facilitated. Additionally, once an asbestos shingle begins to retain water, freeze-thaw conditions can cause widespread cracking of the already brittle material. All of that aside, the many benefits offered by asbestos-cement roof shingles have earned the product a prominent place in America's architectural history book.

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