Asbestos shingles are roof or wall shingles made with asbestos cement board. They often resemble slate shingles and were mass-produced during the 20th century as these were more resilient to weathering than tradition slate shingles for the reason that slate is very soft and prone to weathering. Due to health risks of asbestos products, the European Union has banned all use of asbestos, including asbestos roof shingles.
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Asbestos shingle Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA