Concrete asbestos garage roof.

[Northbeach]

Hi all (and apologies for yet another asbestos garage roof thread!).

I have a garage to the rear of the house which is in the process of being removed. The walls are made from panelled concrete and the roof is concrete asbestos (we used to have this in our garage ceiling when I was growing up).
I've looked into/researched/asked around and feel 'relatively' confident on removing it myself. I will purchase the appropriate full body suit, mask (level of which seems open to debate?), hose down the material and bags to double up the sheets. My local tip has a facility for taking domestic asbestos (I popped round to ask about this last week) and I will bag up the clothing/mask when complete. (Actually, whilst at the tip a fellow nonchantly turned up with this stuff in the back of his car and attempted to just drop it in the 'assorted waste' drop!! He was quickly shown the way out...)

The bags will then be taken via a trailer to said tip.

My only concern is the size of the sheets (they appear to be approx 1.5 - 1.75m) so hoping I can get the necessary bag size rather than breaking in half. The top of the roof has a metal cap running the length of the the garage which secures the sheets in place - it looks like it might be tricky getting to the bolts which secure them (in fact I cannot see them from inside the garage). There is also asbestos panel at the front and the back (the thinner non corrugated type) some of which looks like it was broken in the past (we moved into the house just before xmas).
I'm therefore guessing I may have to break some of these panels as they are nailed to a wooden roof frame.

Aside from employing a firm to remove it does the above sound do-able - any other tips?

Many thanks.

 

[merlin50]

just brake them in half, job done, its not the bad blue asbestos.

 

[Northbeach]

just brake them in half, job done, its not the bad blue asbestos.

Was hoping I didn't have to break any and I could get larger bags!

Are those front/back panels the same type of asbestos as the corrugated roof?

Do I need to go all out on a mask (thinking of microscopic fibres penetrating less 'rated' masks)?
I'm possibly being a little bit *over cautious...I don't know...but best stick this side I think.

* over cautious would be paying specialists to do this, but we have a heck of a lot to do in this house...and an ever decreasing budget.

Thanks.

 

[cotswoldbuilders]

The bags around our way are only about the same size as bin liners, and not much stronger.
A client removed some similar to yours, just managed to get a bag on one end then slide another bag over the other end.
He had to tape it all up and seal.
He was only allocated a certain number of bags, and was told he couldnt have any more for six months.
Your Council could have a different policy, have you had it tested as some skip wagons will take it away if not the hazerdous asbestos, or get some prices for removal.

 

[Northbeach]

The bags around our way are only about the same size as bin liners, and not much stronger.
A client removed some similar to yours, just managed to get a bag on one end then slide another bag over the other end.
He had to tape it all up and seal.
He was only allocated a certain number of bags, and was told he couldnt have any more for six months.
Your Council could have a different policy, have you had it tested as some skip wagons will take it away if not the hazerdous asbestos, or get some prices for removal.

Yes - a bin liner (the 50 litre ones) would probably cover about half so I would have to get two per panel, unless I can order larger ones (not at that stage yet). I've shown a few pics of the roof at the local refuge depot and they were pretty sure it was the 'less dangerous' abestos. They have an asbestos area for domestic waste and could probably drop as much as I wanted to.
I'd not even considered sending it away for testing (or how I would begin to find out - council?) - I'd be a bit happier if I knew it was the less hazerdous variety. I have a friend with a trailer who will happily let me borrow it to take the bagged stuff away...

Cheers.

 

[xdave]

Just wet the sheets with a hose and carefully lift them off, lay them on standard polythene DPM one at a time, wrap once and leaning against a wall snap the sheets into approx 1m lengths. Then fold the DPM over and tape up without exposing the broken sheet.

My local skip company lets you stack bagged asbestos in a normal skip as long as it is placed on top and clearly marked, so if you have any other waste to dispose of it is worth checking if you can shift it all together to save money.

 

[deeman72]

as merlin 50 said. i done mine.

everything ok.

 

[Northbeach]

Just wet the sheets with a hose and carefully lift them off, lay them on standard polythene DPM one at a time, wrap once and leaning against a wall snap the sheets into approx 1m lengths. Then fold the DPM over and tape up without exposing the broken sheet.

My local skip company lets you stack bagged asbestos in a normal skip as long as it is placed on top and clearly marked, so if you have any other waste to dispose of it is worth checking if you can shift it all together to save money.

That's a fine idea. I'll purchase a fair amount of that polyphene sheeting.
The only tricky bit is the front and back panel - this is the thinner, straight material and is nailed into the roof frame in the garage. I may cut the wood it is attached to inside (if I can do that) and leave it attached rather than breaking the nails out the asbestos.

I had a look at sending off the samples - think you can buy a kit for around £40. Pretty sure this material is asbestos concrete and I'll be over cautious when removing it - I guess the tests would confirm this or notify me if it was the more hazardous (blue, brown) material. Perhaps those tests are more for larger buildings - interiors etc?

Thanks everyone - I'll let you know how I get on...I have to construct a new shed before I take this garage down!

 

[Northbeach]

Hi all,

Sorry to drag this one up from the past, but I'm looking at carrying the job out this weekend (we've finally got a new shed erected so we can take this garage down).
This was answered well enough for me to stop flapping and be happy enough to carry it out. I have the full body suit, mask et al (a friend of ours gave us the kit as he works in the chemical industry).

I'm most probably going to have to break the sheets in half as per above, but I'd like to double check something:

It's the front (and back) 'apex' sections of this stuff - you can just about see it on the pic, though if necessary I can add another picture. It (appears) to be the same as the roof sheets, but is flat and has been attached (via nails) to part of the timber framing - this is going to be a bit of a wrestle - is it a case of prying it away from the timber (and I assume it's going to break in parts)?

Once bagged/DPM sheeted up, my old neighbour is going to help take it to the tip via his trailer (although he won't even get out the car with this stuff around!!)


Thanks again

 

[maltaron]

You really do not need to worry too much. I was "on the tools" when these garages were built. We used to cut the sheets with power saws and nail them on. No protective clothing or masks. I am over 70 now with barely a cough. The bad stuff is found in pipe insulation etc. and normally goes to lethal fibre when touched.

 

[dhutch]

You really do not need to worry too much. I was "on the tools" when these garages were built. We used to cut the sheets with power saws and nail them on. No protective clothing or masks. I am over 70 now with barely a cough.

Thing is, as far as I know as asbestos doesnt really work like that. The incubation period is (can be?) massive and i expect it effects diffrent people diffrently.

Ive never done it, but with a full suit, suitable mask, damped down, I would proberbly do the job, but I would be lifting full sheets into a trailer lined with plastic, folding the plastic over the sheets (say four, whatever I could lift bagged) then repeat. Aiming to lift the still sealed 'bags' off and into the tip same-day while still damp.

You can be over cautious, but I would be take almost every pre-caution, even for concrete containing the stuff having recently seen a good freind die of mesothelioma after (as far as we know) just one decent exposure of white asbestos lagging, when removing a heating boiler 50 years previous.



Daniel

 

[maltaron]

I can understand the worries but your friend had been exposed to lagging asbestos which is vastly different from asbestos cement sheets. I have several plumbing friends who have passed away with mesothelioma, after years of working with pipe insulation. At the end of the day, it is up to the individual to choose what protection he/she needs with the material that is being handled.

 

[Northbeach]

Yes - I'll be covered head to toe in overalls (including hood), a 'proper' mask, gloves, goggles...and the clothing underneath, I'll 'bin' alongside the overalls and sheeting. The sheets should lift out ok, though I'll probably have to wrap into sheeting and snap in half as described above (I'll check with my local tip - I might be able to drop them at the asbestos skips in one piece - the slots are wide enough width ways at least.

The only bit I was concerned about now was the 'apex' flat sections - they are connected to the timber A frame as I'm (probably) going to have to pry them apart from the nails that attach the timber. I've a feeling this will crack it in parts (there are holes/cracks in it from when the previous occupants in the house were here).

Many thanks - and sorry to hear about your respective friends. All this is the messy downside of house refurbs. I only recently found out that asbestos is in artex - fortunately the ceilings I took down were PB, but there was a section in the hall I nearly chipped away at...

 

[dhutch]

Yeah well im sure your right, and I certainly agree the fibre has got to be a lot worse in terms of the amount of particulate thats going to be in the air.

Can you get at the nails to cut them with an anglegrinder and slitting disk at all without cutting the board?


Daniel

 

[Northbeach]

Yeah well im sure your right, and I certainly agree the fibre has got to be a lot worse in terms of the amount of particulate thats going to be in the air.

Can you get at the nails to cut them with an anglegrinder and slitting disk at all without cutting the board?


Daniel

Probably not - I'd be worried about the angle grinder nudging into the sheet too...I'd create a right wasps nest of the stuff then! I had a quick 'feel' of the wood earlier and it's quite soft and is starting to break up a little - possible that rot has set in over the years (the doors of the garage certainly are rotten) so they might loosen with a gentle pry using a claw hammer?

I've found some polythene DPM online which will probably do the lot - I'll then place them in a couple of bin liners, tape them up and drop them straight into my friends trailer....he'll be locked inside his car...smoking his tobacco...oh the irony!