asbestos roof advice

sach55

im planning on buying a flat in the uk, it is the 2nd floor flat on a stucco fronted property built around 1870s with 3 floors. i am quite keen on the size and condition of flat, but after showing interest i found out the roof contains asbestos soffits/insulating board, and asbestos cement and roof tiles, and would like to know the risks of exposure to myself.

i received an asbestos report that their solicitor sent, and apparently the asbestos is limited to the external roof tiles and cement etc, not in the main living and communal areas, (although they point out they cannot rule out its presence in inaccessible areas such as chutes, boarded off areas etc). the report details the use of crocodolite (blue asbestos) on the external roof in insulating board/soffits, and asbestos cement and tiles, they are apparently in ok condition with the insulating board only having low damage, scoring 7 out of 12 on danger to release fibres, and the cement/tiles in good condtion scoring 5 out of 12 , all materials are apparently sealed/encapsulated/painted.

how much risk to exposure will i face, since flat is not the top floor, there is one flat above me, and its my understanding abestos is released by small fibres that can become airborne, the only way i would be exposed is if they blew in from air or float down into windows ? and i could always put up some form of screen or filter on windows or use an air purifier ? or are there other risks such as leaking roof and contaminated water ?

as i am buying flat leasehold it would be up to the freeholder to to dispose or update the roof tiles, and as my understanding at this point in time they are content to just 'manage' them rather than replace. the freeholder is currently in process of selling the other 4 flats, it would not be in freeholders interest to have a roof blowing dangerous fibres around ? at some point they would have to be replaced if they became damaged ? and this would be revealed in an annual asbestos survey the legally have to carry out. any information and or opinions appreciated.

davidmcn

There's lots of asbestos still in buildings, the risk is very small unless you're working with it routinely (i.e. breaking it up and breathing in dust). You're not realistically going to be breathing in fibres from your roofing materials.

AdrianC

How many people have lived in that building in the last 150 years and not died of asbestosis?

sach55

ive been getting conflicting opinions, some say its perfectly safe as long as its not damaged, but then i read somwhere even within 15 inches of an asbestos tile there is many hundread times higher presence in air.

benbay001

Its risk is also offset somewhat by the fact its very very fire retardant.

We have asbestos everywhere at work and loads within regular reach. If it was that dangerous it would have been removed. Just don't damage it.

davidmcn

sach55 wrote: »

but then i read somwhere even within 15 inches of an asbestos tile there is many hundread times higher presence in air.

Where did you read this?

sach55

i cant link directly being a new user, if you do a google search for ''greenbuildingforum asbestos roof tiles should i be worried'' should be first result



scroll dow a bit and i read this



'' Myth number one: asbestos cement - the fibres are "locked in"
The main use of asbestos was in asbestos cement products. Much official advice has been that asbestos cement contains "only" around 10% of asbestos fibres, and that they are safely "locked in." It has never been particularly convincing. All asbestos mixes require sawing, drilling, transporting and handling. The "locked in" argument does not allow for routine maintenance activity, let alone removal and demolition work, damage by fire, and other types of damage.

Evidence using electron microscopes show that asbestos cement products release fibres into the air under normal wear and tear conditions. A 1980 study showed that asbestos in the air within 20 inches of a 17-year-old weathered asbestos cement tile, was ten times higher than the background level found 100 metres from the same wall. ''


where this is from is now dead, i did say hundreads when in facts it says 10's.

davidmcn

sach55 wrote: »

"asbestos in the air within 20 inches of a 17-year-old weathered asbestos cement tile, was ten times higher than the background level found 100 metres from the same wall. ''

where this is from is now dead, i did say hundreds when in facts it says 10's.

Yes - and I expect the background level nowhere near any asbestos product is virtually zero, so ten times almost zero is still almost zero.

Bit like things which "double your risk of [a particular type of] cancer" until you realise that the chances have changed from 1:1,000,000 to 1:500,000 rather than being a virtual certainty.

benbay001

sach55 wrote: »

A 1980 study showed that asbestos in the air within 20 inches of a 17-year-old weathered asbestos cement tile, was ten times higher than the background level found 100 metres from the same wall.
.

Who ever conducted that study clearly had an agenda.

Youre over thinking it Op. If you like the place, get it bought.

AnotherJoe

Do yourself and everyone else a favour sach55 and buy something else, whilst I'd be confident there's essentially zero risk, the fact you've gone into so much details and plans that frankly are ridiculous such as screens and filters (what happens when you walk into the building will you wear a hepa mask?) you'll be worrying needlessly the whole time you live there.

martin1959

The fact you looked at this property online, puts you into a high risk category of developing asbestosis. Thank God you never actually stepped foot inside..........