Asbestos roof tiles are made from grey asbestos which is a form of asbestos cement where the fibres are encapsulated.
How much asbestos is in asbestos cement roofing tiles.
A professional asbestos abatement team can quickly legally and safely remove your existing roof or siding and handle the disposal of this material.
The result of the test will lead you to the next step.
Asbestos roofing tiles are predominately comprised of cement.
The asbestos content will vary on the manufacturer but the content will typically be 15 or less.
Depending on the manufacturer the cement tiles comprised typically of between 10 15 asbestos.
Many asbestos roofing materials have been present since the early 20th century.
Adding asbestos to the cement made the corrugated roofing sheets more heat resistant weatherproof and durable.
Corrugated roofing sheets made of asbestos is common in uk homes constructed prior to 2000.
Since the cement sheets were fireproof manufacturers initially considered them safer as compared to wood.
As a building material asbestos was very widely used between the 1950s and 90s especially as a roofing material due to its fire resistant properties.
Asbestos roofing materials require the same level of safety attention whatever their form.
Asbestos roofing tiles are actually largely made from cement with the now banned product added into the cement mixture.
This meant that roofs that were made from these tiles had an incredibly long life expectancy far surpassing that of their non asbestos counterparts.
Roofing shingles containing asbestos are manufactured from a mix of asbestos fibres and hydraulic cement.
This material is not the same as the unstable blue asbestos that kills people after agonising suffering with cancer.
They were popular for their rigidity durability and fire resistance.
How to identify asbestos roof tiles.
This sample needs to be assessed under a microscope which uses polarised light.
It is best to get a professional in to take a sample and avoid the possibility of being exposed to any asbestos fibres.
How to remove asbestos roof tiles.
They are a cement based material known for being hard wearing and can last for more than 40 years.
In addition to its heat and fire resistant properties asbestos has excellent strength and durability features.
While these products were cheap to manufacture and buy their true cost emerged years later in the form of deadly asbestos related illnesses.
Accordingly if the material contains less than 1 asbestos it is safe and does not require removal.
The same material is used for guttering downpipes soffits water tanks etc on 1960 s 70 s property.
The only way to know for sure whether your roof contains asbestos is to have a sample tested by professionals in a certified laboratory.
For much of the 20th century asbestos cement sheets provided builders with a rugged solution for simple roofing and siding projects.
Materials containing as little as 1 asbestos usually are subject to these restrictions.
The fire resistant properties of these roof tiles weren t the only reason they were so popular as asbestos is incredibly durable and strong.
