Replacing asbestos Roof

modelreject

Hi,

There has been alot written about Asbestos, scare stories(maybe rightly so) and some sites that say it is safe if left undisturbed.

What I am in the provess of doing is getting a roofer to replace my asbestos roof slates and would like some further advice from you nice people.

What needs to be done to make this as safe a possible for my family. I am thinking that obviously the slates need to be kept intact.
I also was thinking that it would be better to dampen the slates with a hose before removal?
Also, what about the roof space. Will dust fall into the roofspace?
Should the roofer dampen this a sweep it up before the new slates are put on?
Will it be safe to enter the roofspace after the new slate are on?

Many thanks,
C

PS the asbestos will be disposed of properly

Gunarysarge

modelreject wrote: »

Hi,

There has been alot written about Asbestos, scare stories(maybe rightly so) and some sites that say it is safe if left undisturbed.

What I am in the provess of doing is getting a roofer to replace my asbestos roof slates and would like some further advice from you nice people.

What needs to be done to make this as safe a possible for my family. I am thinking that obviously the slates need to be kept intact.
I also was thinking that it would be better to dampen the slates with a hose before removal?
Also, what about the roof space. Will dust fall into the roofspace?
Should the roofer dampen this a sweep it up before the new slates are put on?
Will it be safe to enter the roofspace after the new slate are on?

Many thanks,
C

PS the asbestos will be disposed of properly

I am sure that a contractor or roofer in your case has to have had the proper training i.e. Certified to handle and dispose of this substance. I am not sure of the regs if you do it yourself? but if you google it there are very informative websites that advise you how to handle this nasty stuff.

Niv

Asbestos slates are effectifly asbestos cement with a shiny coating. Damping them down to remove them would do nothing frankly. This form of asbestos product is the 'safest' in that the asbestos fibres are bonded to the cement. Removing them intact is the best option obviously, but some will get broken.

I would hope that your roofing contractor has some experiance in this sort of removal but if you are concened, speak to them regarding the method they will use (maybe evan ask for their method statment).

Assuming this is a normal roof on a normal house, it is unlikelt you will get a big dust problem in the main part of the house (just seal the roof hatch - gaffa tape and plastic sheeting while work going on).

Once the job is completed you may want to remove any loft insulation that is in the loft and give the place a clean if this is practicable although this may be seen as a little ott as you could just cover the existing insulation with a new layer and floor it. If you choose to remove the lft insulation make sure you wear a suitable disposable suit and wear a P3 mask. Double bag any waste and dispose of as asbestos waste.

Suzy_M

Just a thought - if the roof space is completely empty before the work starts cleaning up will be a lot easier.

I'd suggest any insulation is removed before the work is done - you might be planning on scrapping it but at least it will reduce the volume of 'risky' material that has to be disposed of.

savcab

modelreject wrote: »

Hi,

There has been alot written about Asbestos, scare stories(maybe rightly so) and some sites that say it is safe if left undisturbed.

What I am in the provess of doing is getting a roofer to replace my asbestos roof slates and would like some further advice from you nice people.

What needs to be done to make this as safe a possible for my family. I am thinking that obviously the slates need to be kept intact.
I also was thinking that it would be better to dampen the slates with a hose before removal?
Also, what about the roof space. Will dust fall into the roofspace?
Should the roofer dampen this a sweep it up before the new slates are put on?
Will it be safe to enter the roofspace after the new slate are on?

Many thanks,
C

PS the asbestos will be disposed of properly

all the guidance you need is here http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/essentials/

Any asbestos waste must be taken away by an approved contractor and disposed off properly. the works may not be notifiable to the HSE but the guidance they give is excellent. If bits get broken off there are guidance notes on what to do.

vegasvisitor

Just a thought, but couldn't you lay large dust sheets in the loft over your insulation, then you just have to go up and fold them up carefully and take them out and dispose of them? Would save you lifting and re-laying insulation.

I have been a bit worried about our new house, it has roof tiles that I had worried might be asbestos, as they look 'different' to ones I've seen previously.

Anyone know?

System

savcab wrote: »

all the guidance you need is here http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/essentials/

Any asbestos waste must be taken away by an approved contractor and disposed off properly.

At least read the guidance that you point to. It does not need an approved contractor to take it away. A house owner can take asbestos waste (of the type talked of here) to a licensed site for disposal provided it is double bagged. Most councils have one of their refuse sites licensed as an asbestos disposal site that householders can take the waste.

modelreject

Many thanks. Much appreciated for you taking the time out to reply.

The loft doesn't have insulation below the slates. It's 1930's. There are boards down on the floor, which have insulation underneath. I will get the floor covered in plastic sheeting first and seal off the loft hatch.

I wouldn't be going inot the loft too often. Maybe at Xmas to getthe tree down, but it's just to give me peace of mind.

Any more advice welcome.

Niv

lesley74 wrote: »

Just a thought, but couldn't you lay large dust sheets in the loft over your insulation, then you just have to go up and fold them up carefully and take them out and dispose of them? Would save you lifting and re-laying insulation.

I have been a bit worried about our new house, it has roof tiles that I had worried might be asbestos, as they look 'different' to ones I've seen previously.

Anyone know?

Two questions.

1 You are worried about your 'new' house. what do you mean by new, new to you or new build? If a new/newish build they will not be asbestos.

2 Why are you worried? Asbestos slate tiles left in place are perfectly safe. Dont be fooled into the the misinformed opinion of some that all asbestos must be removed. That is definatly not the case.

jason_nevin

I'd suggest that you talk to your local recycling centre first. You're going to have an awful lot of waste so I'd make sure they're happy to take it before you create it. Different councils have different views on asbestos waste. If they won't take it all you may need to spread the load accross several sites (or pay a huge fee to have it taken away in a special skip).

savcab

!!!!!! wrote: »

At least read the guidance that you point to. It does not need an approved contractor to take it away. A house owner can take asbestos waste (of the type talked of here) to a licensed site for disposal provided it is double bagged. Most councils have one of their refuse sites licensed as an asbestos disposal site that householders can take the waste.

sorry for trying to be helpful......

But we are talking about a large quantity of roof slates here i would imagine. That is not going to be a little amount that a householder can just turn up with... The job may be notifiable to the HSE and the waste may need to be placed in an asbestos skip which requires 3 days notification under regulations before it can be moved.

I think the original poster should get as much advise as possible before deciding what to do.