corrugated garage roof - asbestos or not?

andrewf75

Hi all,
Does anyone know if it is possible to tell whether corrugated sheets are asbestos based or not without sending off a sample?
and if not, then how do I break off a sample safely?!



Thanks!

ariba10

They are generally made with Asbestos Cement.

Our local refuge tip will take it if it is double bagged.

I soaked min with water, broke it down into manageable size pieces and double bagged it.

They accepted it at the tip no problem.

andrewf75

Thanks,
Yes I know our tip accepts it, but I'm considering whether to attempt DIY or get someone else to do it so I want to know for sure whether it is asbestos or not as I'm sure it would affect the cost.

Annie1960

Ask a local asbestos company for a quote, or send them a photo.

They can tell pretty instantly whether it is asbestos.

MX5huggy

No they can't, without a sample.

They can assume or presume it's asbestos but not know.

docmatt

If it's not metal and the house was built before the 70's there is a very good chance it will be. Stick some waterproofs on and take it down in the rain, stick it in some bags taped up and take it to the tip but best call them first.

MisterP123

Why do you want to remove it? Is it in bad condition?

If it isn't metal, isn't plastic and looks like grey cement, then likelihood is it's asbestos.

Asbestos Cement can be removed DIY style with a few safety precautions.

andrewf75

The sheets have cracked so badly you can see major daylight through it. It has been deteriorating gradually over the last few years.

Yes it looks like grey cement, house was built in the 50s, but garage probably much more recent

Thanks.

andrewf75

MisterP123 wrote: »

Asbestos Cement can be removed DIY style with a few safety precautions.

I'm in two minds whether to attempt this myself so I want to get it tested to find out. I have seen there are companies that send testing kits for around 40 quid but how do i safely break off a bit? If I'm going to start breaking it to find out I may as well just assume it is asbestos and take it off without breaking it?
I would be quite happy to pay someone to replace the roof to be honest, but I am just concerned that the asbestos will just bump up the cost unnecessarily.

firefox1956

Post a picture on here & somebody will be along with an informed guess as to what it is.
I would not waste £40.00 finding out if it was asbestos cement sheeting.
Just treat it as such........with sensible precautions
Pics here
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=asbestos+cement+sheets&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-ab&gfe_rd=cr&ei=Kf8_WffVLMv38Afkh6qQBQ#q=corrugated+asbestos+garage+roof+pics
I would do the job youself.
You are right that some sharp aleck would see you coming & the dreaded word asbestos would add £300 to the job.

stator

Assume it is asbestos.
It's safe to remove yourself, just find bags big enough.

The question is, how is it secured? Assuming it's bolts, are they going to come out? They're probably rusted too much. Can you get access to them to use a hacksaw or other cutting implement?