If you suspect that your leaking garage roof contains asbestos you may be worried about the cost and hassle of repairing or replacing it. However, this is not an unusual problem as asbestos garage roofs are very common in Scotland. Asbestos was a very popular building material in the 1960s and 1970s and was still used in cement roofing panels right up until the 1990s. Many garages built around this time will have an asbestos roof. An experienced garage roof replacement company such as Garage Roof Scotland is very used to dealing with this type of hazardous material. ​

Asbestos garage roofs were very popular in the 50s, 60s and 70s. Asbestos was a newly discovered material that was found to be insulating, strong, heat resistant and cheap. As well as garage roofs it was used in a whole host of other things such as flooring tiles, fire blankets, brake pads, artex, roof insulation. If it is in good condition and left alone asbestos isn’t dangerous. However if it is contained in a cement that is degrading or is disturbed by being cut or sanded, fibres can be released into the air. These fibres can then be inhaled and once in the lungs are known to cause serious and even fatal diseases to develop many years later.
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Asbestos cement sheets were a very popular material to use for garages in the 1960’s and 70’s. Asbestos is a very versatile material. It is weatherproof, fire resistant and very tough. For these reasons alone, it was a popular building component. Only later did the dangers relating to asbestos fibres become apparent.  Breathing is these fibres can be fatal and nowadays, asbestos is banned from being used in building materials.

However, there are still many garages around from the time when it was popular.  If your garage was built a long time ago, it may well have been built using asbestos. If the garage roof needs replaced because it is leaking and not water-tight, then you may be concerned about the cost involved in removing an asbestos garage roof.

Why would it be more expensive to remove an asbestos garage roof compared to one without asbestos? The cost is increased because of the disposing of the asbestos. It needs to be taken to a special disposable centre which deals with asbestos and disposes of it safely. In the central belt of Scotland, this disposable site is found in Glasgow. 

It costs about twice as much to dispose of asbestos compared to any other material and that is why the cost is increased in replacing garage roofs with asbestos. To make sure your asbestos garage roof is dealt with properly both for yourself and the environment, get an expert in.

Call me, Paul (Scottish Environmental and protection Agency registered) to deal with your asbestos garage roof quickly, cleanly and professionally. Tel: 07932637646

 Discovering that you have an asbestos garage roof can come as a bit of a shock for some homeowners. We have all heard about asbestos and how harmful it is. Swift removal and replacement is recommended if you start to see deterioration in the garage roof.

Removing an asbestos garage roof is a little more complicated than removing a regular garage roof and should be done by a specialist who has experience in this field. Look for a contractor who is SEPA licensed (Scottish Environmental Protection Agency) as that way you know that you have someone who knows what they are doing. Ensuring that the asbestos is taken cleanly away and disposed of properly is just as important as the safe removal of your garage roof.

Asbestos was popular to use in building insulation and roofing because of its properties: sound absorption, strength, fire and heat resistance and because it was cheap.  It was phased out in the 1970s and 1980’s and is no longer used– mainly due to the health damage to human beings. It is difficult to tell whether your garage roof has asbestos as a component. An expert will need to examine it to be sure. But a lot of post war buildings were built using it, so if your garage is an older installation, it is quite likely to contain asbestos. The damage it does to human beings is obvious if you look at the statistics following the collapse of the World Trade Buildings in New York. An unusually high death rate from cancer has been observed by the emergency services personnel. This is thought to be the result of inhalation of asbestos fibres from the dust of the Twin Towers collapse. If in doubt, call an expert in.

By Paul Mclean

If you need your garage roof replaced, call me for a no obligation quote: Tel: 07932637646