Thousands of commercial properties, factories and warehouses in the UK have asbestos cement roofs and with new regulations in force concerning the control of asbestos, it’s understandable that business owners in such premises should have concerns.

Asbestos cement was used because of it’s high tensile strength and waterproof qualities.

In normal circumstances, an asbestos cement roof should last many years and present no risk to health of people working in the building.

The risks of asbestos contamination from an asbestos cement roof, asbestos cement down pipes or asbestos cement fascias are relatively low, but immediate remedial action should be taken in the event that a panel or pipe become damaged, as this can lead to asbestos fibre release.

Asbestos fibre release is a serious risk to health.

Under current health and safety regulations, a business owner can be fined or even jailed if asbestos is released into the work environment.

It is possible to repair asbestos cement roofs, but because asbestos is a banned product in the UK, it’s no longer possible to get replacement asbestos cement sheets.

Depending on the profile concerned, it may be possible to get a replacement panel made from an alternative material – the most commonly used is a GRP sheet. These are special order products made to match the existing asbestos cement profile.

The thing to bear in mind when repairing your asbestos cement roof is that your contractor should be familiar with the health and safety requirements and also has previous experience of working with the material.

This is because with age, asbestos cement roofs can become brittle and changing one panel could quite easily damage two more!

Although working with asbestos cement sheets does not come under the same strict controls as some forms of asbestos, but care still needs to be taken and there are published guidelines available from the Heath and Safety Executive.

Replacing an entire roof is an extreme measure, but it is possible to conduct scheduled replacement if certain parts of the roof become porous.

Either way, replacement is expensive and in this case, the most economical way of managing the replacement is to instruct a qualified building surveyor with specific experience in this area.

AsbestosRoofing.co.uk is operated jointly by asbestos surveyors, Energy & Enironmental Surveys Ltd and chartered building surveyors, Edgeworth Street Ltd, so you can be certain that any advice received will be completely impartial.

We have extensive nationwide experience in the replacement and repair of asbestos cement roofs on commercial properties.

For more information, please call David Carter on
07800 790427