Asbestos roof on a garage
Discussion
I have just bought a house In the UK, and it has an asbestos garage roof, can someone tell me, if I can, simply leave this alone or do I need to replace it? What should I budget to replace a flat one car garage asbestos roof and garage door?
Story is the property is an investment and my daughter will use it when she goes to uni, I haven’t seen the house but my mate has and he keeps going on about the garage roof being asbestos like it’s a huge problem. Cash purchase so no problem with the mortgage company or anything like that just a simple question of if I am under an obligation to replace it, I thought it was Ok to leave in place as long as I never touched it
Story is the property is an investment and my daughter will use it when she goes to uni, I haven’t seen the house but my mate has and he keeps going on about the garage roof being asbestos like it’s a huge problem. Cash purchase so no problem with the mortgage company or anything like that just a simple question of if I am under an obligation to replace it, I thought it was Ok to leave in place as long as I never touched it
Berw said:
I have just bought a house In the UK, and it has an asbestos garage roof, can someone tell me, if I can, simply leave this alone or do I need to replace it? What should I budget to replace a flat one car garage asbestos roof and garage door?
Story is the property is an investment and my daughter will use it when she goes to uni, I haven’t seen the house but my mate has and he keeps going on about the garage roof being asbestos like it’s a huge problem. Cash purchase so no problem with the mortgage company or anything like that just a simple question of if I am under an obligation to replace it, I thought it was Ok to leave in place as long as I never touched it
Are you sure that is an asbestos roof has the material been analysed?Story is the property is an investment and my daughter will use it when she goes to uni, I haven’t seen the house but my mate has and he keeps going on about the garage roof being asbestos like it’s a huge problem. Cash purchase so no problem with the mortgage company or anything like that just a simple question of if I am under an obligation to replace it, I thought it was Ok to leave in place as long as I never touched it
If it is asbestos and it is in good condition spray the underside with dilute P.V.A then leave it alone. Job done.
You don't need to touch it. Just leave it where it is. If it works, what is the problem?
And if it does need replacing, put it in bags and shove it in the garden, or behind the shed. There is no law saying you can't move asbestos around on your own property. The problem comes when you are trying to bin the stuff elsewhere.
And no, you won't die simply by looking at asbestos. It is dangerous, but only in certain circumstances.
And if it does need replacing, put it in bags and shove it in the garden, or behind the shed. There is no law saying you can't move asbestos around on your own property. The problem comes when you are trying to bin the stuff elsewhere.
And no, you won't die simply by looking at asbestos. It is dangerous, but only in certain circumstances.
Asbestos can be left on its own and not touched. The problem comes when the dust becomes airborne so even unscrewing or pulling nails out will cause minute particles to become airborne and then you could inhale. Leave it wholly alone and it will be fine.
If you want to remove it, get specialists in as they can dispose and will have all the right respirators etc.
My only further thought was what happens when you come to sell. Asbestos laws are getting updated all the time (last was 2011 I think) so you may have a problem when you come to sell in that it may put off potential buyers.
If you want to remove it, get specialists in as they can dispose and will have all the right respirators etc.
My only further thought was what happens when you come to sell. Asbestos laws are getting updated all the time (last was 2011 I think) so you may have a problem when you come to sell in that it may put off potential buyers.
I have and asbestos garage roof. If it ain't broke, don't fix it! You are under no obligation to replace it.
Roof will be Asbestos Cement (AC) sheets and can be removed by anybody (non-licensed task). Keep exposure low by damping down, wearing PPE and avoid breaking sheets. You local council should accept domestic quantities of waste for disposal and some even provide labelled bags.
Rsv Mark said:
If you want to remove it, get specialists in as they can dispose and will have all the right respirators etc.
My only further thought was what happens when you come to sell. Asbestos laws are getting updated all the time (last was 2011 I think) so you may have a problem when you come to sell in that it may put off potential buyers.
Completely un-neccessary.My only further thought was what happens when you come to sell. Asbestos laws are getting updated all the time (last was 2011 I think) so you may have a problem when you come to sell in that it may put off potential buyers.
Roof will be Asbestos Cement (AC) sheets and can be removed by anybody (non-licensed task). Keep exposure low by damping down, wearing PPE and avoid breaking sheets. You local council should accept domestic quantities of waste for disposal and some even provide labelled bags.
Edited by astroarcadia on Wednesday 26th September 09:07
Council tip (or recycling centre or whatever they call them these days) will probably accept small quantities. Mine does but it might be worth checking if you are determined to replace it. If you do then take care, wear protective gear and avoid breaking it up.
Otherwise, if it isn't falling down I would leave it alone.
Otherwise, if it isn't falling down I would leave it alone.
About 15 years ago my former boss suffered a heavy snowfall that cascaded from one factory roof onto another, lower one. The weight was sufficient to fracture a couple of the old asbestos-cement sheets.
He was insured. The insurance company got the specialists to remove the entirety of the affected roof - approx. 5000 square feet. This they did by smashing it with sledge hammers. Total cost was in the hundreds of thousands.
All the while the work went on the factory continued in production.
Somebody somewhere is making a lot of money from removing and replacing these types or roofs (but maybe they are all dying in their forties from inhalation as well).
When we replaced a pre-war garage for in laws, we recycled the roofing as hardcore (well dampened) in the new concrete base. All those nasty fibres now encapsulated for another 40 years.
He was insured. The insurance company got the specialists to remove the entirety of the affected roof - approx. 5000 square feet. This they did by smashing it with sledge hammers. Total cost was in the hundreds of thousands.
All the while the work went on the factory continued in production.
Somebody somewhere is making a lot of money from removing and replacing these types or roofs (but maybe they are all dying in their forties from inhalation as well).
When we replaced a pre-war garage for in laws, we recycled the roofing as hardcore (well dampened) in the new concrete base. All those nasty fibres now encapsulated for another 40 years.
When I was a child (a long time ago 
) my dad had a garage built from creosoted timber (deadly) and cement asbestos sheet cladding (lethal). I was around all the time it was being constructed - sawn, broken, nailed, etc. I am still alive.
This is 15% white asbestos and the remainder is cement. When I last looked nobody had died from exposure to white asbestos; it's the blue stuff that is really dodgy. My information might be wrong - it's hard to get proper data, but I'd do what others have said and leave it alone. Varnish or otherwise seal it if you like but don't fret about it.
) my dad had a garage built from creosoted timber (deadly) and cement asbestos sheet cladding (lethal). I was around all the time it was being constructed - sawn, broken, nailed, etc. I am still alive.This is 15% white asbestos and the remainder is cement. When I last looked nobody had died from exposure to white asbestos; it's the blue stuff that is really dodgy. My information might be wrong - it's hard to get proper data, but I'd do what others have said and leave it alone. Varnish or otherwise seal it if you like but don't fret about it.
Thanks, been 20 years since I had a UK house and I thought maybe the law had changed, I've bought a house that has been emty, lady died intestate as I do not need to move in and can do it up over period, mainly redecorating I got a gteat price, it had new windows roof etc, did not want the expense of replacing the roof if it is usable, I appreciate the point that in the long term it is worth changing as aselling point.
The Don of Croy said:
Somebody somewhere is making a lot of money from removing and replacing these types or roofs (but maybe they are all dying in their forties from inhalation as well).
We had various quotes between £300 for an illegal removal of a single council garage roof, and £1200 for a fully legal documented removal. The whole thing is a farce blown out of all proportions, the usual massive over-reaction to compensation culture. The dangerous stuff is blue asbestos, that is being ground or powdered. You can't die simply from looking at, or even licking, a sheet of it, but the Compo-4-You lawyers don't care about that.
If I recall it was the asbestos fiasco that brought Lloyds insurance to its knees twenty years ago?
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