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.

JimmyChanga

1870s or 1970s?

There are numerous properties with the same. Most vehicle brake pads still had had asbestos up to the late 80s. It's airborne everywhere and we've been breathing it for a long time.

You can buy a property asbestos free and a few doors away some builders will be smashing something up with asbestos in it. You cannot control the rest of the atmosphere.

Yes, it should be treated with caution, removal etc but you need to also take it into perspective.

Personally, I wouldn't worry too much about. The tiles becoming damaged won't be releasing much.

sach55

1870's. 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 10x presence than 100 metres.

Fire_Fox

sach55 wrote: »

as i am buying flat leasehold it would be up to the freeholder 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..

Hopefully you are aware this would be chargeable to the leaseholders?

You will only get a definitive answer on safety and risk management from an appropriately qualified professional, not posting on a public forum.

phill99

Why have you posted this twice in different forums. You wont get the answer your looking for by posting in a different forum.

ed110220

I live in a house with an asbestos roof covering. The risk is minimal if left undisturbed. The main consideration will be the cost of removal and replacement when it deteriorates to the point of needing renewal. In a flat this will probably be out of your control.

What exactly is the asbestos used for on the roof, apart from soffits? You say "asbestos cement and tiles", do you mean asbestos cement tiles? Asbestos cement is a material not a building element. Asbestos soffits were very common at one time and would have been widely used to retrofit, just as PVC is today, so can be found in a lot of buildings even those built before asbestos was widely used. That would be fairly trivial to deal with. If the whole roof covering is asbestos it will be a bigger job and more expensive.

In short I'd want to know the rough cost of removal and replacement and the timescale the freeholder had in mind.