Should I Replace My Asbestos Garage Roof?

Posted by Alba 2 on August 20th, 2018

Asbestos Garage Roof Removal

If your garage was built in the 1960s or 1970s there is a good chance that the roofing panels contains asbestos. Asbestos was widely used is many products during this period because it was cheap, insulating, fire resistant and strong. Unfortunately it was later discovered that asbestos is extremely dangerous to human health. If products containing asbestos are cut, sanded or even just disturbed, they can release dangerous dust fibres into the air, that if breathed in can later cause diseases such as lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma. 

If your garage roof is not leaking and the cement panels are secure, then it is perfectly safe to leave it alone. Undisturbed asbestos is not dangerous. However if it starts to show signs of wear and tear and you require a new garage roof, what do you do? Unfortunately, asbestos roof panels cannot be repaired and even scraping off lichen an moss can release dangerous asbestos dust fibres into the air. Our advice is to leave it to a specialist asbestos garage roof contractor. They will have the correct equipment and training. It will usually cost a bit more to remove an asbestos roof because of all the extra safety precautions. Asbestos also needs to be disposed of in special authorised sites and cannot just be dumped at your local one. You should look for a contractor who is SEPA licensed (Scottish Environmental Protection Agency) so that you can be sure that they know what they are doing. They will wear the correct standard of face mask and overalls and bag the asbestos roofing panels in the required way.

Remember, it may not look dangerous but asbestos can be a killer. If your garage roof needs replaced don't take chances with your health and always call in an expert.