Cutting A Vent Hole In Asbestos Siding

The outside is covered with asbestos siding.

Cutting a vent hole in asbestos siding. Mark the cut line with a pencil and straightedge. While it was a little tedious it was very effective and satisfying. Wondering what hole saw to use when cutting a hole in hardie plank or wood. For vent or other holes in asbestos siding or where lead paint is likely to be can be drilled using a shielded hole cutter.

You can use a concrete hole saw or a diamond cutter circular blade on a 4 grinder depending if you want a round or square hole. Don t breathe the dust and be very careful it s not likely you ll. Rather than using an expensive masonry hole saw i used a masonry drill bit to drill a series of small holes around the perimeter of the dryer vent hole and use a big chisel and 3 lb sledge hammer to chip out the opening. The house was built in the 1920s but i have no idea how old the siding is.

Smooth off jagged edges with a sharp carpenter s rasp to keep asbestos particle sizes as large as possible. Best shields are the ones from hole pro that make a complete air seal and to which you can attach a hose to a shop vac. 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.