There is something to be said for asbestos. It can be produced inexpensively. Further to that, it is extremely durable. That's why it was used massively for decades in order to protect buildings.

Back in the 1880s and after numerous experiments, it was concluded that the material worked outstandingly well by using asbestos fiber mixtures as insulation for boilers and pipes. Later on those fibers were mixed with cement. This product was then used to as a compound to repair roofs. And only a few years after that, in 1908, adequate process machines were finally available to manufacturers to produce solid sheets from the asbestos fiber paste. These sheets were ideal to work with. They had a strong density, yet, were still flexible enough to be cut and trimmed easily.

That's how the asbestos siding and asbestos roofing started to get so popular and therefore it was widely installed. The asbestos roofing shingles were born. Further to that, building materials made of asbestos didn't rot and were also extremely fire resistant.
So it's really no surprise that asbestos roofs were liberally used up until the late 80s. Manufactures now focused on asbestos roof tiles and eventually geared their whole production line towards asbestos laden products.

You have probably heard of the so called asphalt strip shingles. They were probably the most popular asbestos roof covering in the 1940s. Back then nobody cared about the risks. Or I should rather say, nobody was aware of the risks of using asbestos liberally as a construction material. Only in the 80s, after more and more cases of mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis were catching the attention of the media and the public learned about the danger of the material, the use of asbestos winded down dramatically.

That's when another boom was initiated, because now everybody wanted to get rid of their sidings and roofs made of asbestos and asbestos roof removal companies started their high ride. Experts say, as long as the asbestos roofing or siding on your house is in good condition, you should be safe. But the question is: what is meant by "good condition"? Would you be willing to bear any risk if your house was covered by asbestos laden materials? Well, I wouldn't, that's for sure.

And even though it was apparent that our siding and roof were not made of asbestos, we had a company coming in checking the air and the walls. The results came back okay, which was quite a relief for me and my family, since both, my wife and I were diagnosed with cancer in the same year. At least we could be sure that we were not living in an unsafe place, for the sake of our two daughters.