Asbestos Garage Roof Guide
Your Complete Guide To Handling An Asbestos Garage Roof
One of the most common places people often find asbestos in homes or commercial spaces is garage roofs. If you suspect asbestos may be present in your garage roof, our asbestos removal consultants have laid out the steps to take.
The History of Asbestos in Garage Roofs
Before the ban on asbestos in the UK in 1999, asbestos cement sheets (often corrugated in shape) were a popular building material and were widely used for garage roofs. They were known for their fire retardant and weather-proofing properties, alongside being a rather cost-effective option at the time.
These roofing panels or gutters often contained one of the most popular asbestos types in the UK known as White Asbestos (or chrysotile). The content of asbestos within these products will vary, however on average, cement mixes would have between 15% and 20% asbestos content.
Asbestos was banned in the UK due to the severe health risks that exposure can cause. From headaches and chesty coughs to Mesothelioma and other cancers, exposure to asbestos can be serious. That is why, when replacing your asbestos garage roof, it is important to hire professionals with asbestos training, licensing and accreditations.
Asbestos Surveys of Garage Roofs
The only way to know for certain that your garage roof contains asbestos is with an asbestos survey. These surveys will include visual and sampling techniques. The samples taken of your roof will then be sent to a UKAS-accredited lab for testing. These results will then confirm if your roof does indeed contain asbestos, along with various other important factors (such as the type of asbestos).
Some visual signs your garage roof may contain asbestos is in its appearance. Corrugated roofing panels were used widely pre-2000 when asbestos materials were still legal in the UK. If your garage was built before 2000 and features this corrugated roof, it could be a sign that your garage roof contains asbestos.
Replacing an Asbestos Garage Roof
Once asbestos presence has been confirmed, there are a few different routes you can take to ensure that the garage roof does not pose a risk to health and that yourself or others are not exposed to asbestos fibres.
Remediation works can be undertaken on garage roofs which are in good condition, often categorised by the level of deterioration of the asbestos-containing materials (ACMs). If the roof is in good condition, you can leave it in situ, and undertake regular checks to ensure that this condition does not change over time due to maintenance works or weathering.
If the condition of the asbestos roof is poor, removal of the garage roof might be required. In this instance, hiring a professional asbestos company to replace your asbestos garage roof will ensure that exposure to harmful asbestos fibres is minimised as best as possible.
Looking for Asbestos Garage Roof Removals?
With offices in Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Yorkshire and the Midlands our asbestos experts can assist you with your asbestos garage roof no matter where you are located. Over 30 years of asbestos removal experience feeds into our work and we prioritise a safe working environment at all times, offering not just peace of mind but also value for money.
Our 3 year asbestos licence and various accreditations with ACAD and ARCA also help to demonstrate our commitment to health and safety legislation.
For professional asbestos garage roof advice and your free quote for removals, get in touch today.
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