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From: abeles@mhuxm.UUCP (J. Abeles (Bellcore, Murray Hill, NJ))
Newsgroups: net.consumers
Subject: Re: aluminum siding
Message-ID: <352@mhuxm.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 22-Mar-85 11:42:13 EST
Article-I.D.: mhuxm.352
Posted: Fri Mar 22 11:42:13 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 23-Mar-85 03:13:14 EST
References: <15964@mgweed.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill
Lines: 25

> wanted general information with remarkes either pro or con 
> as to the usage of aluminum siding on houses.my home is a 14
> year old ranch with press-board type siding whuich requires
> constant maintencainntenanceintenance either as a general painting every 3 or 4
> years"reatherather expensive" or usualyly yearly scraping and a touch-up.

At a recent chemical safety seminar, we at Bellcore were told the following
interesting information:

If you want to re-paint your aluminum siding, it must first be treated
to eliminate "chalk-like" residues.  There is a product for this available
on the market in hardware stores, and it contains 11% HF.

In case you don't know, HF (hydrofluoric acid) is the most dangerous
corrosive acid that exists.  It penetrates the skin without initial
pain, later causing gangrene by destroying all capillaries.  In an
accident at IBM in East Fishkill, it is rumored, two outside maintenance
contractor employees came in to clean out a large HF vat.  The vat was
to have been flushed with water.  The wrong vat was flushed.  The men
sloshed around in HF contaminated water, left at 2 PM, and developed
excruciating pains in their legs at midnight.  I'm sorry to tell you
the end of the story, which is horrible--both men lost both feet.

It is incredible that HF can now be purchased by the weekend worker,
if the report is in fact true.  Please be careful!