I’m considering buying a house with an asbestos garage roof.,..are there any issues with this that I should be aware of? I don’t plan to rip out the garage in the near future, but if I ever did want to would it be possible to find someone willing to do it?

asbestos removal is not uncommon, no idea about cost though.

Dont know if its still the case but if you go to your local council tip, they used to provide bags, wrap the sheets in that and take down there.

Asbestos requires licensed contractors to remove the material. The cost of this specialist work is horrendiously expensive.
Usually the removal cost is greater than the cost to replace the roof if you were to put back concrete sheet roofing, being similar in style to asbestos sheet roofing.
Health risks are only present were the roof sheeting to be broken then HSE considers air born particals would be present giving risk to health if breathed in, but being outside, a roof, is less of a hazard, versus having asbestos inside a building that you occupy.
Wouldn’t worry myself, most 1930-1950’s properties that have a garage were often finished with asbestos roof sheeting as the garage roof.
They last for eternity and are only a problem when someone walks on them, as they are very brittle after 50+ yrs and break. Then your issue of the expense in removing them surfaces.
Likely ball park cost to remove typical single garage asbestos roof, circa £1200-1500 c/o licensed contractor.
That said, in truth your likely to find a builder who will just do it, minus any observation of HSE guidelines – not that this practice is right.
Hope this helps, am involved in the overseeing removal of asbestos c/o working in insurance industry.

As long as its not crumbling away and you don’t plan on drilling/cutting it and creating dust, its perfectly safe.

If it can be removed without breaking it up you can probably removing it safely by using a hose to prevent any dust and bagging it up. Don’t know about the legalities in removing it yourself, but I think it can just be chucked in the average landfill. When British Gas looked at replacing my boiler they said their guys would remove an asbestos slab under my boiler by just lifting and bagging, as long as it wasn’t fixed down. i.e. I should check and if its screwed, take the screws out before they arrive 🙂

Check law.

I believed (after discussion at Reading tip) that I could bag it up in special bags and they would dispose of.

However if it aint broke don’t fix it (or tamper with either)

In order to take the debris to your local council, they will require that you double bag & seal the material. Which would then mean needing to break it into smaller sized pieces to fit.
I would strongly recommend you do not attempt this job, were you wanting to remove it, the roof sheets will be VERY brittle, you’d need crawler boards to get onto/across the roof. Professionals often fall through these roofs, such is the risk of working on them, when removing them.
Keeping the material wet is good advice as it makes it more stable and air born particals are less likely to escape, but knowing about asbestos and its associated risks, I wouldn’t take on such a job, even the once.
There is a method of prolonging the life of the asbestos sheet roofing, which is a polymer coating but is only worth doing if the roof is in good condition.

Looks like I need to confirm if it’s asbestos cement or not… if it is then it’s very harmless and I’ll leave it, consider removing myself, bagging and taking to the CA site, if it’s other asbestos then I’ll think hard before buying the place.

Looks like I need to confirm if it’s asbestos cement or not..

Which, if you’ve taken reasonable precautions you can do yourself as opposed to getting someone in. I used http://cavendishlaboratories.co.uk/. All I had to do was get a small bit (these is where you need to be careful!), double-bag it in sandwich bags, and send it to them with a cheque. Job done. Presume they still do the service so better to phone and check.

I have a garage with an asbestos roof. We left it in the end as most of the evidence suggests removing it is the most likely time to cause fibre disturbance. Best thing to do is seal it with a paint.

Ours is unpainted…I did always wonder whether asbestos cement boards over time release fibres into the air which would settle as dust on stuff stored in the garage?

Even if it is asbestos – which would need a sample taken and sent off for laboratory testing to confirm in order to be sure as cement sheet roofing looks much the same as asbestos, its not something that should deter you from buying a hse. particularly if its in reasonable condition.
Have a look at the timbers the roofing is secured to, can you see evidence of rain getting through – staining to the timbers, if the roof leaks this is what would force your hand in needing to do something with it.
Otherwise its nothing to be overly worried about, until the day it breaks or the roof leaks. Personally, I much prefer this as a roofing material to a mineral felt roof which you know needs replacing every 15-20yrs and is a guaranteed cost to pay in future.
Best of luck with hse hunting – is good time to buy!

What Spooky said.

And YOU can do it yourself, just take precautions as already mentioned, wet it down, i’d buy a roll of polythene, and double wrap it in that(several sheets at a time) then trailer or take it to the tip by van.

iirc, You only need a special licience if you are charging for it’s removal/disposal, just contact your local waste disposal yard before hand… and you can make inquiries to your local council.

this is taken from the directgov webpage.

“Removing asbestos from your home
If you do choose to remove the non-licensable asbestos materials yourself it will help if you take the following precautions:

wear a dust mask approved for asbestos;
wear a disposable overall
keep other people away from the working area;
wet the material well with water containing a little washing up liquid; check that there is no potential for contact with electricity first;
always remove whole sheets or components; do not break them up
place any loose or small items in strong plastic labelled bags and seal;
clean up all dust with a damp cloth and then seal it in a plastic bag whilst damp;
do not use a domestic vacuum cleaner as dust may pass through the filter.
If you have removed asbestos from your home yourself, it will need to be disposed of separately from your normal household waste. You may be able to arrange to have it collected or there may be special facilities in your area you can use to dispose of hazardous waste. Contact your local council for further details.”

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/Planning/DoingWorkYourself/DG_10022562

Additional Info:
Asbestos cement products do not require a licence to remove. You may want to speak to the local authority amenity site to ensure they have an asbestos skip. All hazardous waste will have to be double bagged (inner bag – red, outer clear). If using large sheets of poly affix a red bag to the inner skin. Ensure that the waste bags or poly is well sealed with a swan neck top and taped.
PPE – Type 4/5 Disposable overall (Arco etc)
RPE – P3 grade disposable mask (Arco etc)
All equipment/tools will require wiping down with a damp cloth (dispose of with PPE and RPE) after use.
All PPE and RPE will need to be disposed of with the cement sheets.

Pick a lovely damp or rainy day to help minimise potential fibre release.

If the profile cement sheets are in good condition (no broken exposed edges) then there is no risk to health. You can utilise spray tack to seal any edges as a precautionary measure. You can also purchase modern fibrous cement profile sheets to perform any ongoing repairs.

I think it might depend on your local council. When I enquired, mine didn’t take asbestos anymore, and I was quoted c£900 for a company to come and remove it and take it away.

Nukeproof – Unfortunately asbestos fibres are present in the air all the time. The HSE guidelines and action levels are concerned with the airborne concentration of fibres. You can purchase encapsulation paint (arco etc) to seal the cement sheets. You would be required to follow similar precautions – RPE and PPE.

JPcapel

I have heard of house insurance companies paying for this work, even if the policy was taken out in the knowledge that asbestoc was present… have you any information on this?

As Stretch said. Make sure that the local amenity site can take it. If not, you may need to get a disposer in to remove the stuff. If you do, and there is more than 200kg, you will have toregister as a hazardous waste produce with the Environment Agency. Cost is £18 on the internet. This gives you a 3 letter 3 number code just for your house. Do this yourself as disposal companies will charge extra (we do!!) Then phone about. Look for a transfer station that is licenced to take it, they will give you a better price than a disposer who runs straight to tip as there will be a minimum charge, say 3 tonne min.

Get some prices for the removal of the asbestos and try and get the seller of the house to pay for it, or get the value knocked off the price of the house!!

I project managed a large Contaminated land/asbestos removal job between 2007 and 2008.

Chrysotile (white) asbestos products of a nature that are not liable to release a significant volume of fibres do not require a licence for removal. A jobbing builder with the right knowledge and approach could take down the sheets legally, as you could yourself. I’d be surprised i you could fin a jobbing builder with the right characterisitcs though!

Unless its broken, fibre generation is minimal and it will be fine to use for a long time yet if left in situ.

Avoid sawing, drilling grinding and snapping it wherever possible. If you do need to break it to say, fit it in the bags, thouroughly soak it with a dilute solution of washing up liquid or PVA glue. In the case of the washing up liquid, gather and bag the debris before it dries. Get yourself a few disposable paper suits to stop getting mucky and FFP3 Respiratory protective masks if you feel nervous about it – although I’d say thats over the top for the nature of the material, as long as you soak it properly.

The regulatory argument for registering your house as a hazardous waste producing premises is up in the air. If you look closer at the Regs, you’ll probably find the householders are exempt from the requirement to register, although I stand to be corrected on this point, all previous legislation has exempted the householder and I’m used to dealing with this stuff on a commercial basis, where registering is a given.

Britain basically rebuilt itself with asbestos after the 22d world war. Its cheap, strong, fire resistant and acts as a bulking agent when manufacturing building materials. Its everywhere – used to be used like we now use MDF and then some. As a result there will undoubtedly be people in the future which will be very pleased to charge you a prettty penny to remove it.

A customer of mine had a asbestos roof garage and walls, he made the mistake of asking the coucil for advice, next minute mr jobsworth was there, demanded he get a qualified contractor to do the job, tok pictures etc , handed out leaflets etc.
It cost so much the customer could not then afford a new garage , so beware, if you bag it, and dump it, use heavy duty black bin bags or black damp proof course plastic available in large sheets from builders merchants, and dont say anything to the tip staff as theyll most probably phoine there boss.

I’ve got one on my garage, speaking to the people @ the local Tip, they said if it’s bagged in the bags they provide they’ll dispose of it for me, winner 8)

I’ve heard of removal being paid for under house insurance but this was associated with a claim for flooding where a bathroom wall was made from asbestos.

I’d not dream of doing it myself or getting a dodgy builder to do it. This is why: Mesothelioma.
Possibly just one asbestos fibre inhaled could be enough, or it could stick to your clothes and get someone else.
Personally, if I really liked the house, I’d get a quote for the roof’s removal and build it into the purchase price…my 2p

Someone’s just offered their asbestos roof on the Mole Valley Freecycle – is that sensible?!

Possibly just one asbestos fibre inhaled could be enough, or it could stick to your clothes and get someone else.

That old gem 🙄

Its just scaremongering IMO. I agree its important to be cautious but the chances of 1 fibre being responsible for mesothelioma is incredibly remote. As said, asbestos fibres are present in the atmosphere all the time; we’d all go around with masks on if that statistic was accurate

Being a doctor, and seeing many patients with asbestos related disease, i would recommend that you have it properly disposed of, but agree the chance of one asbestos fibre causing mesothelioma is quite remote- nearly all the sufferers had a long history of asbestos exposure or washed their partners clothes for years- this is particularly common on Southampton in dock workers wives.
Interestingly, the current feeling is that carbon fibre may be the new asbestos, especially the nanocarbon type- so get the bikeshop to cut that carbon steerer tube! The views were echoed by the guys at hope in a recent MBR interview.

I wouldn’t worry about it. Personally I’d paint the inside surface of the roof with PVA glue to seal everything in, so any accidental strikes don’t release particles.

“That old gem” is off Cancer Research UK’s web site and includes the word possibly. It only takes one cell to turn malignant to get a cancer. The incidence may be dose dependant, but there is no safe threshold dose. Asbestos fibres are in the air especially on the Eastern seaboard of the USA, where mesothelioma is more common than on the West coast.
but hey…people still smoke, and they know it causes cancer…so if you smoke, sure go ahead and pull it down yourself.. 🙄

It certainly wouldn’t put me off a house purchase. As long as its only garage roof. Asbestos cement isn’t that friable so is relatively easy to deal with compared to some of the nastier types.

Do you actually need it to be removed? Is it in poor condition? If its left in situ its fine if not broken up.

I’m an asbestos surveyor/analyst. If you need any details on specifics of removing/encapsulating drop me a mail (stuartgoss at hotmail.com)

Its a relatively easy job.

Only just got back & logged back on.
Household insurance – will only pay if an insured event has happened, i.e. someone puts their foot through roof, storm conditions rip it off, imapct from falling tree, etc.
The issue with it already being present is not material, it is the event, which you are insured for/want to claim for, happening during the term of your policy that is the important bit & yes, in this event the Insurer would pay the licensed removal costs, plus replacement of the roof.
Interestingly, I have rec. documents within my industry flagging up carbon fibre as new, pontential, asbestos (as per parisroubaix) might make this material no longer quite so popular.

Interesting coment JPcapel, Carbon fibre/fibre glass and asbestos all look really similar under the microscope.

I recon any fibrous dust is going to be nasty to inhail, probably any dust in enough volume to think of it.

“That old gem” is off Cancer Research UK’s web site and includes the word possibly

I’m not saying its untrue but its easy to put the word ‘possibly’ in any statment however remote the possibility is. As I said, I believe it to be scaremongering and, if that statistic was accurate, nobody would be able to even go near the horrible stuff.

Talking of cigarettes…
In the early 1950s, the P. Lorillard Tobacco Company sold over 13 billion cigarettes that contained a type of asbestos called ‘crocidolite’ within their filters. The original Kent brand contained 10mg of asbestos material in each cigarette. Therefore, original Kent smokers inhaled more than 131 crocidolite fibers in each pack of cigarettes.

After reading about how bad asbestos is I may well quit my job as an environmental consultant and build an oxygen tent!….
Asbestos is like a loaded gun, only dangerous when handled by idiots.