Is this asbestos?

catmum09

There is a white coating on the inside roof of our garage (pictured), could it be asbestos ? 

Bigphil1474

Looks like cement roof panels typical of older garages and outbuildings - they could contain asbestos. How old are they? If they've been around for 40 years or more then they probably contain a small percentage of white asbestos (Chrysotile). It's the least dangerous construction asbestos, but still needs to be treated with some respect. The good news is that if they are in good condition and you're not looking to remove them, then there's no need to worry. The risk is from breathing in fibres so if the panels aren't damaged there will be no errant fibres and therefore no risk (give or take). Also, if you do need to remove them it's non-licensable work i.e. you don't need a licensed asbestos removal company to remove them. They do need to be removed without cutting or breaking as much as possible, and disposed of as asbestos waste though - probably best getting a decent contractor in.

There's a chance that they don't contain any asbestos. At work, we basically say that anything built before the year 2000 could contain asbestos, and anything after won't. It varies but asbestos materials were being phased out in the 1980's but were probably still being used into the 1990's.You could have them tested, but probably just as easy to assume they do contain asbestos if you don't know how old they are and work round that accordingly. 

QrizB

catmum09 said:

There is a white coating on the inside roof of our garage (pictured), could it be asbestos ? 

Just a note, that's not really a white coating - that's the underside of the roof material itself.

Albermarle

They do need to be removed without cutting or breaking as much as possible, and disposed of as asbestos waste though - probably best getting a decent contractor in.

Many municipal waste/recycling sites will take this stuff if broken in pieces and double bagged . Usually for a small fee.

Tucosalamanca

Albermarle said:

Many municipal waste/recycling sites will take this stuff if broken in pieces and double bagged . Usually for a small fee.

Not good advice, breaking asbestos sheet into pieces is an absolute no-no. This is when fibres are released and the asbestos becomes a real threat. It would also mean that the works become Notifiable Non Licensed Works (NNLW)

Sheets should be removed without damaging, double wrapped and labelled before being disposed of through licensed waste handlers (which could include some recycling centres)
a14.pdf

HSE Asbestos Essentials offer clear guidance for most situations Asbestos essentials - HSE

Section62

Bigphil1474 said:

Looks like cement roof panels typical of older garages and outbuildings - they could contain asbestos. How old are they? If they've been around for 40 years or more then they probably contain a small percentage of white asbestos (Chrysotile). It's the least dangerous construction asbestos, but still needs to be treated with some respect. The good news is that if they are in good condition and you're not looking to remove them, then there's no need to worry. The risk is from breathing in fibres so if the panels aren't damaged there will be no errant fibres and therefore no risk (give or take). Also, if you do need to remove them it's non-licensable work i.e. you don't need a licensed asbestos removal company to remove them. They do need to be removed without cutting or breaking as much as possible, and disposed of as asbestos waste though - probably best getting a decent contractor in.

Respect is even more important because other fibre types (e.g. blue/brown) can also be found in asbestos cement products.  It isn't safe to assume all asbestos cement materials only contain white fibre.

Bigphil1474 said:

There's a chance that they don't contain any asbestos. At work, we basically say that anything built before the year 2000 could contain asbestos, and anything after won't. It varies but asbestos materials were being phased out in the 1980's but were probably still being used into the 1990's.You could have them tested, but probably just as easy to assume they do contain asbestos if you don't know how old they are and work round that accordingly.

This is also risky, especially with buildings like sheds and garages.  The longevity of asbestos cement products means they were (probably still are) recycled or reused.  Not everyone understands the risks involved with asbestos containing products, and plenty of DIYers still (wrongly) think AC products are perfectly safe.

stuart45

I worked for a builder after 2000 that still had a load of slates containing asbestos in the yard for use on jobs. 

Grenage

If it needs replacing, always worth getting a quote.  Our asbestos cement sheets were huge and would have needed wet cutting, bagging, and driving 40 minutes to the nearest centre that would take it.  I think the price was about £200.

For £500, a company removed and disposed of it all.

catmum09

Thank you all for the advice. I will contact a local company. Apparently it was built in 2007 and the roof is metal. 

Section62

catmum09 said:

Thank you all for the advice. I will contact a local company. Apparently it was built in 2007 and the roof is metal. 

What does it look like on the outside?  People do overclad asbestos/fibre cement sheets with metal - but it would be a bit odd to build a shed in 2007 and use either asbestos or fibre cement sheeting rather than just use steel with some form of anti-condensation protection.

Bigphil1474

Section62 said:

Bigphil1474 said:

Looks like cement roof panels typical of older garages and outbuildings - they could contain asbestos. How old are they? If they've been around for 40 years or more then they probably contain a small percentage of white asbestos (Chrysotile). It's the least dangerous construction asbestos, but still needs to be treated with some respect. The good news is that if they are in good condition and you're not looking to remove them, then there's no need to worry. The risk is from breathing in fibres so if the panels aren't damaged there will be no errant fibres and therefore no risk (give or take). Also, if you do need to remove them it's non-licensable work i.e. you don't need a licensed asbestos removal company to remove them. They do need to be removed without cutting or breaking as much as possible, and disposed of as asbestos waste though - probably best getting a decent contractor in.

Respect is even more important because other fibre types (e.g. blue/brown) can also be found in asbestos cement products.  It isn't safe to assume all asbestos cement materials only contain white fibre.

Bigphil1474 said:

There's a chance that they don't contain any asbestos. At work, we basically say that anything built before the year 2000 could contain asbestos, and anything after won't. It varies but asbestos materials were being phased out in the 1980's but were probably still being used into the 1990's.You could have them tested, but probably just as easy to assume they do contain asbestos if you don't know how old they are and work round that accordingly.

This is also risky, especially with buildings like sheds and garages.  The longevity of asbestos cement products means they were (probably still are) recycled or reused.  Not everyone understands the risks involved with asbestos containing products, and plenty of DIYers still (wrongly) think AC products are perfectly safe.

Just to clarify, my work involves commercial buildings and not sheds and garages in domestic settings, hence our position on the cut off dates used. I should have made that clear. It was illegal to use asbestos in commercial premises well before the year 2,000. The use of asbestos containing materials in DIY domestic sheds and outbuildings is still not illegal for private individuals, although sourcing the materials will thankfully be very difficult.