garage roof replacement

andrewf75

Yes thanks, I will make sure they are going to do it properly.

Wookey

andrewf75 wrote: »

Surely it would be the lungs of the builder who takes it down at risk not mine?

When i went thru my asbestos awareness we where told of a case where it wasn't the tradesman carrying out the work who contracted asbestosis but his wife, she became afflicted with it due to washing his work clothes at the end of the day/week, it's not always obvious where or when it can strike, damaged asbestos will become airborne and then the risk is spread over a far larger area.

Iirc to, asbestos was not fully banned until 1999/2000 and up to the 1960/70's it was put into a whole range of products including toothpaste.

Niv

andrewf75 wrote: »

Thanks and I appreciate the time you have taken to post all this, but can I ask what your credentials are? I am not going to take any risks, but I am pretty experienced at separating good and bad advice from the internet and there seems to be a consensus that these kind of sheets can be *carefully* removed by an ordinary roofing contractor or DIY. I’ve turned away one person already but even he wasn’t going to cut the sheets. A reputable roofer certainly won’t.

I hadn't bothered to respond to this thread as EachPenny's advice is sound so saw no need to repeat it. If EachPenny's credentials do not satisfy you then mine should, I am a trained asbestos surveyor and analyst and agree with them.


Regarding your lung comments, if you know there is a danger you should not be knowingly exposing people to the hazard that's just immoral so that fact it wont affect your lungs but the lungs of the person you employ should make no difference, that attitude is quite disturbing.


Besides the above, if an incompetent clean up is undertaken then there is certainly a reasonable chance there would be debris left in the vicinity.

andrewf75

Niv wrote: »

I hadn't bothered to respond to this thread as EachPenny's advice is sound so saw no need to repeat it. If EachPenny's credentials do not satisfy you then mine should, I am a trained asbestos surveyor and analyst and agree with them.


Regarding your lung comments, if you know there is a danger you should not be knowingly exposing people to the hazard that's just immoral so that fact it wont affect your lungs but the lungs of the person you employ should make no difference, that attitude is quite disturbing.


Besides the above, if an incompetent clean up is undertaken then there is certainly a reasonable chance there would be debris left in the vicinity.

I’ve now had a very reputable local roofer round to quote for the job and he was quite clear that while it needs to be removed carefully it is not hazardous in the way other types of asbestos are. Official guidance I’ve seen in various places seems to support that – asbestos cement roofing sheets do *not* require licensed asbestos firms to remove. Are you really suggesting I am being irresponsible employing him for this job because I'm exposing him to risk?

I’m starting to see why every thread I’ve found on this subject ends in arguments! I’m not doubting anyone’s credentials and certainly not intending to display a “disturbing attitude” towards safety, but please try and appreciate how difficult it is to assess for the layman when the advice differs so greatly.

Am going to order a testing kit for peace of mind as I suspect the roof is probably too new to contain asbestos anyway. Thanks.

Niv

andrewf75 wrote: »

I’ve now had a very reputable local roofer round to quote for the job and he was quite clear that while it needs to be removed carefully it is not hazardous in the way other types of asbestos are. Official guidance I’ve seen in various places seems to support that – asbestos cement roofing sheets do *not* require licensed asbestos firms to remove. Are you really suggesting I am being irresponsible employing him for this job because I'm exposing him to risk?

I’m starting to see why every thread I’ve found on this subject ends in arguments! I’m not doubting anyone’s credentials and certainly not intending to display a “disturbing attitude” towards safety, but please try and appreciate how difficult it is to assess for the layman when the advice differs so greatly.

You are correct you do not need a licenced contractor to remove asbestos cement but you do need a competent person, the roofer you describe could well be competent to remove the asbestos, I am not doubting that. I am not saying you are irresponsible for hiring that individual / company as I do not know their credentials. It is true to say you can have a 'very reputable' roofer that is no competent to remove asbestos but by no means does it mean your chosen contractor is not competent.


I do not believe anyone has told you that you need to use a licenced contractor to remove this material.


I am not arguing with you, you are free to act how you see fit, I am simply sharing my knowledge and experience with you, if you wish to use it is up to you.


You seem to have put some thought into this project so I am comfortable that you are acting in an as responsible a manner as you could be with the information you have.

andrewf75

Thanks, I appreciate your input. I think I edited my post as you responded - am going to get a testing kit just so I know one way or the other. Chances are it will be negative anyway as the degradation suggests it may be just fibre cement sheets from 20 odd years ago. At least then I don't need to worry about any dust being left.

ledmondson

Beware VSF. They replaced our garage roof in May and whilst the job was well done by a single. hard working man, we found some of the lining scraped away after he had left. This must have been done when he had, single handed, to remove the sections from the van. Despite emails and telephone calls, even offering to do the job ourselves if some felt and glue were sent, we have heard nothing and no one returns our calls. It is a pity we didn't read the reviews first. The money is quickly taken but the after sales service is non-existent. Had it not been for this relatively minor, easily resolved issue my rating would have been higher and we would have recommended them. If the job is well done there would clearly be no problem, but if a problem does occur there is NO comeback.

nicpaice1

The removal and disposal of cement bonded white asbestos ‘chrysotile’ is a non-licensed activity. But it’s very poor practice breaking and shovelling it into a bag. You’ll spend 2k on a holiday but then to save a few bob you’re prepared to clamber onto a roof and then load the family car with asbestos. Crazy!