asbestos.

[robgil]

apart from corrugated roofing , what other forms of asbestos might you find within an old house?

 

[Schoolmarm]

Artex.


Pipes leading to roof from boilers.



There are more but I can't remember them.

 

[Lime]

Asbestos can be found in many places in the home.
It has been used for insulation and a filler of many sorts, (blue asbestos is particularly bad) pipe and blown loft insulation for instance.
In the 60s it was used to fireproof houses in multiple occupation.
Sheets of compressed asbestos were put everywhere.
Many board materials and floor tiles may contain asbestos.
Electric fuses and other old electrical appliances may have asbestos in them.
It is important to remember that it is the dust that is dangerous so wet asbestos is relatively harmless.
There may be many more dangerous chemicals disturbed when redecorating or rebuilding so it is important to get things in perspective.
Also knowledge and concerns are changing all the time.
Many materials that were freely used in the 70s are a no-no today.
IMO there will be many chemicals in daily use today that will be classed as dangerous in the future too, plastic being one material (particularly those that have a strong smell) that damage the environment and ecological balance.

 

[biffvernon]

The thing to know is the difference between asbestos sheeting, flat or corrugated, or as roof tiles, where the fibres are cemented together, and looser fibres in pipe-lagging. The sheets aren't so much of a hazard until you start drilling holes or sawing.

 

[Flyfisher]

Lots more info here:
http://www.aic.org.uk/advicenotes.htm
http://www.asbestoswatchdog.co.uk/

 

[robgil]

thanks guys.
so , would it be safe to assume that if a large extension plus a garage had a cement/asbestos corrugated roof then there may be more in the house? perhaps i8n the form of fire bricks or insulation?
and , if you were faced with a 5 meter x 2 meter cement/asbestos roof would you take the chance and remove it your self?

i have read so many different views on this its hard to say who is right , some are saying its pretty safe to remove so long as you take the correct precautions and some are saying you will most certainly die should you even attempt to think about removing it.

 

[Flyfisher]

According to the HSE, working with asbestos cement sheeting does not require a licence. I believe this is because, with reasonable care, it's about as safe as any DIY task can be.

This is the relevant HSE advice sheet: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/guidance/a14.pdf
There are also many related advice sheets: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/guidance/aseries.htm

It's reasonable to assume that this advice represents the current best practice for such work to be carried out safely.

Only you can decide if you feel confident enough to follow the specified procedures.

 

[Lime]

From my experience of removing asbestos roofing you are much more likely to damage yourself on a nail, fall off or get wood splinters in parts of yourself.
If you dampen everything down prior to working dust will be minimised.

 

[Feltwell]

thanks guys.
so , would it be safe to assume that if a large extension plus a garage had a cement/asbestos corrugated roof then there may be more in the house? perhaps i8n the form of fire bricks or insulation?
and , if you were faced with a 5 meter x 2 meter cement/asbestos roof would you take the chance and remove it your self?

The fact that it is an extension and a garage, i.e. added later, could well mean that there is no asbestos in the rest of the house.

I've got a grotty asbestos-sheet covered garage, I'm planning on taking it down myself having read up on it. My local council will let you dispose of asbestos for free at one of their tips so long as you call and book in your delivery in advance. You don't even have to bag it up so long as the sheets are in 1 piece. Check where you are though, it varies by region.

Asbestos cement sheet is relatively low risk, I think it's the blue and brown types (though they aren't normally that colour!) often used as industrial pipe lagging that are the real nasties.

The way I looked at it was:-

£1500 for a licensed contractor to do the work

£600 for a good secondhand trailer that I could use again and again and could use to take the sheets to the tip, not wanting to put them inside the car.

My plan, having done some research, is to wear disposable overalls and a good quality respirator-type mask, dampen everything down before I start and try to get the sheets off intact. Throw overalls in bin before driving to the tip, wear a fresh pair when unloading.

If you're not sure that what you are looking at is Asbestos cement then I'd get a professional opinion.

 

[MdB]

I've been thinking along Feltwells lines as well for removing the asbestos roof from our garage. It has been suggested that for sheets in poor condition (like mine) that spraying with water and then coating with pva is a good idea to bind any lose fibres. Not sure if this process would put more or less fibres into the atmosphere though.

 

[Hatster]

We have an asbestos down-pipe.

 

[outlaw]

I have a pump sprayer that I filled with 5:1 water, PVA mix, soak it well on both sides and then remove it while its a bit tacky still. In Bucks all asbestos has to be bagged and taped up full sheets or not. I bought a roll of 1200 gauge DPM and some gaffer/duck tape to do this. " 8' x 3' sheets 2 per pack maximum, then called the council for a permit to dump it in the special bin at the Aylesbury tip. Its a real bummer turning up to be told you need a permit, its costs nothing to get, and most councils will post them out straight away free of charge. Dust mask and gloves are a must because the bloody stuff always breaks up a bit, especially if it is nailed on to a frame.

Tony

 

[CHRIS]

We have an asbestos down-pipe.

There is a massive Asbestos water pipe that runs right through the middle of Colchester that supplies most of the towns water!!!!

Soak it down and double bag as outlaw says, you may have problems due to various councils not letting you dump it at their sites

 

[robgil]

thanks for the advice folks , i think i might tackle it my self should all go well and my offer on the house get accepted.

all i need to do now is figure out what i am going to replace it with.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Have I missed something? You've chosen another house and not told us which one? How could you?

 

[robgil]

sorry , ive been sworn to secrecy until we get the offer accepted. my other half swore she would break both my pinkies should i jinx things in any way. :wink:
should know for sure though by the end of the week.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Well, you've used up this month's allowance of suspense already you know, but that's just so exciting- and I hope you get it!

 

[robgil]

thank you, so do we.
it will still boil down to a survey although after chasing up the derelict in horningsea and constantly looking below the surface i doubt a survey will shy us away from anything too easily. if i could cope with that old cottage should we have won it this should be a piece of cake by comparison , not that it doesn't come with another long list of jobs to do , replacing the concrete based render with lime before the wooden frame rots away to dust being one of them , and probably the easiest. :shock:

 

[robgil]

thank you, so do we.
it will still boil down to a survey although after chasing up the derelict in horningsea and constantly looking below the surface i doubt a survey will shy us away from anything too easily. if i could cope with that old cottage should we have won it this should be a piece of cake by comparison , not that it doesn't come with another long list of jobs to do though , replacing the concrete based render with lime before the wooden frame rots away to dust being one of them , and probably the easiest. :shock:

 

[CHRIS]

thank you, so do we.
it will still boil down to a survey although after chasing up the derelict in horningsea and constantly looking below the surface i doubt a survey will shy us away from anything too easily. if i could cope with that old cottage should we have won it this should be a piece of cake by comparison , not that it doesn't come with another long list of jobs to do , replacing the concrete based render with lime before the wooden frame rots away to dust being one of them , and probably the easiest. :shock:

I know that place you are on about, it is right near the farm isnt it? just near the church.