Asbestos

[jocelyn plummer]

I know that there are two different kinds of asbestos, one which is relatively harmless if left alone, and one which needs specialist removal.

The wooden garage to the property we are buying was constructed in the '70's, it is lined with pale dullish grey /white panels. A small piece has been pierced away at floor level and shows the panel to be very thin. The floor is a horrible soupy looking grey concrete (?) material.

We intend to use the garage for storage in the first instance, and then --eventually-- for the car . If it is the lesser of the two evils, do we have to have it removed or can we leave it alone? The garage is not in our garden, being situated at the end of a private road abbutting the driveway of the modern property opposite our back garden.

I am complete rubbish at recognising 20thc materials-- except PVC

 

[KayW]

Not a specialist in anyway but 'if' this is cement asbestos then as far as I know this stuff its pretty harmless especially if you are not going to break the panels. Lots of companies out there will come and charge you a lot to remove it and are making a lot of money out of scare mongering.

One of the walls from our house was infilled with grey/whitish cement asbestos tiles. I carefully removed them double bagged them using the normal precuations of a mask and water spray and took them to my local council tip which takes cement asbestos. When I got there they opened a big skip full of similar stuff not bagged and told me to dump it in there. No precautions at all!!

Can't be sure that yours is the same stuff. Someone with a better knowledge will be able to describe the difference. I understand the white and blue stuff is the dangerous stuff - and its use is not that common.

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Thanks Kaye

Your points are as I suspected.

I have just found a Fact Sheet which accompanies the NSCA leaflet and I think it is most likely to be insulating board.
Recommendations are that if left undisturbed there is a very low risk from it.

If it is free from loose dust and debris it can apparently be sealed with dilute PVA emulsion followed by 2 coats of undilute.
As it is in the garage and unlikely to be disturbed or damaged in any way, it looks as though I might get away with it.

I'll see what other opinions I get before making a decision.

 

[Feltwell]

It's fine, just leave it alone. If it is Asbestos cement board (which it sounds like it is) then it's not the "nasty" form of asbestos - which tends to be on items like lagging on pipes for industrial boilers. Even that is normally only a problem if it is disturbed in any way.

If you're not going to disturb it then you don't need to do anything. If you are going to disturb it then the advice I've seen says:-

Under no circumstances drill or cut panels
Try to remove panels in one piece
Wet all panels before removal
Wear disposable overalls, gloves and dust mask - once you've started the job don't go into your house or any vehicles wearing these, bag them up and throw them away.
Whole panels can be transported unwrapped, broken panels should be double bagged. Personally I'd only transport them in a trailer, not inside my car.
Wear a new set of disposable overalls, gloves and mask at the council tip when loading the asbestos panels into the skip, and bag these up and throw them in at the end.

Sealing with PVA is just an extra precaution on broken edges, no need to seal whole panels.

Councils will take asbestos panels, but usually only at certain tips and only if pre-booked. Bagging requirements vary, check their website.

I've got a very grotty 1950's garage to remove - professionals wanted £1500, or I can buy a trailer from Ebay for £600, do the job myself and keep the trailer for future work. Guess which one I chose......

 

[Andrew Bodenham]

Agree with previous comments - asbestos cement panels are not a problem unless you start breaking them up and liberating dust.

When I had to replace my old fibre cement garage roof I took it off on a drizzly day, with basic mask, gloves etc. The local council collected the bagged debris from the end of my drive for about £70, which was a real bargain. So worth contacting your council to see what disposal schemes they have available. It's also possible to hire asbestos skips, which at least saves you the hassle of bagging the stuff up.

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Thank you Feltwell and Andrew,
Sound advice.

Fortunately we do not need to use the garage for anything other than storage!

 

[Nemesis]

Our entire landing is lined with the stuff which has to be removed, which isn't possible without breaking it. Also, some of the bathroom walls are lined with it. No, not a query, just a rant. :twisted: