garage roof replacement

andrewf75

Trying to find someone to replace corrugated (probably) asbestos sheets on my pitched roof garage. I’ve contacted 2 specialist nationwide firms who are always advertising everywhere (danmarque and VSF) and they charge around £2k which I don’t really want to spend so I’m hoping to find a local roofer or similar. The high cost of these firms seems to be party asbestos disposal (around £600) and they use high spec plastisol coated metal sheets, whereas I’m thinking more of a like for like replacement with coralline would be adequate and possibly I can find someone who is happy to leave the old sheets for me to dispose of for free at my local tip.

Would be grateful for any tips on whether coralline is any good or what sort of firm to approach. Specialist roofers, general builders or handymen?

Davesnave

Onduline needs to be well braced, or it can go out of shape over time, especially in hot weather. I can't remember the spacing of the purlins on our old barns now, but it was just too wide and the sheets slowly slumped. This repeated other failures I've seen elsewhere, where people have been optimistic about its ability to brige wider gaps.

We used painted metal sheets to replace the Onduline/Coraline, but I'm sure we also improved the roof structure too. I don't know what brand the roofing was, but it had lost a lot of integrity and seemed almost like thick cardboard in places when we took it down.

The metal sheeting was easy enough for two unskilled people to put up, once we'd learned the difference between fixing and stitching screws. It's still there after many gales anyway.

andrewf75

Thanks, yes the purlins are widely spaced so I think the roof structure may need some extra work. The existing sheets seem to sit OK on not many fixings (big J hook type things) but I guess coraline/onduline sheets are not as rigid.

trailingspouse

You won't be allowed to dispose of asbestos at your local tip (well, you wouldn't be allowed at my local tip anyway). If you think it might be asbestos you need to have it tested and removed properly (by people in full protective gear, then bagged up and disposed of, with a certificate to say it's been done). It cost me £1000 + VAT to have my double garage ceiling removed and disposed of.

As specialist asbestos removers are not necessarily also specialist garage roof fitters, would it make more sense to have the asbestos removed by one company and the roof replaced by another?

andrewf75

trailingspouse wrote: »

You won't be allowed to dispose of asbestos at your local tip (well, you wouldn't be allowed at my local tip anyway). If you think it might be asbestos you need to have it tested and removed properly (by people in full protective gear, then bagged up and disposed of, with a certificate to say it's been done). It cost me £1000 + VAT to have my double garage ceiling removed and disposed of.

As specialist asbestos removers are not necessarily also specialist garage roof fitters, would it make more sense to have the asbestos removed by one company and the roof replaced by another?

You can dispose at my local tip for free and this type of asbestos is safe to remove (taking precautions), so if I separate the jobs I may as well take the roof down myself. I suppose I could just do this the day before I get fitters booked in. But I'd prefer them to do it and just leave it for me to dispose of! saves me touching the stuff. But the issue is that technically you can only dispose for free if you remove yourself so they may not be happy.

gardner1

andrewf75 wrote: »

Trying to find someone to replace corrugated (probably) asbestos sheets on my pitched roof garage. I’ve contacted 2 specialist nationwide firms who are always advertising everywhere (danmarque and VSF) and they charge around £2k which I don’t really want to spend so I’m hoping to find a local roofer or similar. The high cost of these firms seems to be party asbestos disposal (around £600) and they use high spec plastisol coated metal sheets, whereas I’m thinking more of a like for like replacement with coralline would be adequate and possibly I can find someone who is happy to leave the old sheets for me to dispose of for free at my local tip.

Would be grateful for any tips on whether coralline is any good or what sort of firm to approach. Specialist roofers, general builders or handymen?

What's wrong with the existing roof ,if the asbestos sheets are not cracked or damaged why not just leave them in place

andrewf75

gardner1 wrote: »

What's wrong with the existing roof ,if the asbestos sheets are not cracked or damaged why not just leave them in place

because they are literally falling to pieces! As you say why would I replace it if it wasn't?

Doozergirl

That's interesting because asbestos, while we know what it does to people now, was ideal for the job as it doesn't fall to pieces.

andrewf75

Doozergirl wrote: »

That's interesting because asbestos, while we know what it does to people now, was ideal for the job as it doesn't fall to pieces.

maybe it isn't then. I haven't had it tested and as far as I know you can't tell for sure and it is best to assume that it is.

I don't know how old the roof is, but it looked ok when we bought the house 4 years ago, then the sheets started to develop cracks and now you can see clear daylight through it in many places and whole chunks have come off. The deterioration has been very quick.

Wookey

You sure that it isn't a fibre cement roof cladding? If asbestos is literally falling apart this presents a major health hazard as asbestos fibres will be in the air.

andrewf75

Wookey wrote: »

You sure that it isn't a fibre cement roof cladding? If asbestos is literally falling apart this presents a major health hazard as asbestos fibres will be in the air.

It may well be. Given the current rate of deterioration it may not be that old. So much conflicting advice, from a previous thread the advice was that it isn't worth testing as any roofing sheets that look like asbestos will be treated as such anyway.