Advice on asbestos insulating board

[Turnip]

I realise this is not even remotely bushcrafty, but I'm hoping someone on here may have experience with the stuff.
I could do to fit some soffit vents to my bungalow, but have found that under the UPVC soffits there is still the original AIB soffits, can these be cut with care and the suitable PPE or is it a flat out no no?
Any help with this would be great, if I cant fit the soffit vents then are there other cheap alternatives to help the loft space breath better?

Cheers

Turnip

 

[Corso]

I wouldn't touch it too much risk with exposure.

It's not just the risk of your inhalation, the stuff gets everywhere and its even been know that other can suffer the effects of exposure when dealing with or even coming into casual contact with your clothes.

I would ask advice somewhere like here as there are also legal concerns to deal with

http://www.asbestoswatchdog.co.uk/home

 

[bopdude]

As @Corso says, once the particles get airborne they could go anywhere, best seek advice, maybe the council ?

 

[Turnip]

Thanks fellas, I'm already working my way through sites such as these and the gov regs on it, I was hoping there might be someone on here that has/does work with it that can share first hand experience/knowledge.

 

[Janne]

I have. Full body protection suit, the non woven fabric type, googles and face mask.

Did the work ( removed exterior broken asbestos squares around a couple of windows I needed to replace)
took everything off gently, put the protective stuff in plastic bags, showered outside.

I do not think I would be happy sawing or drilling in the stuff.

 

[Nomad64]

I did look into this a while ago as I have a pile of old asbestos roofing that I’d like to get rid of.

IIRC the HSE guidance (be aware that the link that Corso posted does seem to be to an organisation with a bit of an “agenda”) was that if not broken or crumbling, asbestos sheets do not pose a health hazard but sanding or drilling etc is a no no.

Legally not sure here you would stand when answering questions if you ever want to sell the house and disposing of anything you remove could be an issue - when I looked there did seem to be a scheme where you could get rid of small quantities each year using a special bag but all my local tips (I’m over on the civilised side of the River Wye) have signs saying “no asbestos”.

That’s the official line and a very sensible one - a neighbour of mine died of asbestosis he was a hospital doctor and the only source they could identify was some pipe insulation in an old passageway used as an occasional shortcut between buildings if it was raining.

On the other hand back in the 1970s we used to throw asbestos sheets onto bonfires so it would explode and shower us in pretty snowflakes, my dad would get me to creosote fences and sheds with no gloves on and Jimmy Savile and Gary Glitter were on children's TV.

If you are minded to remove or cut it, spraying everything with water first and wearing a mask would reduce risks.

 

[Janne]

I did look into this a while ago as I have a pile of old asbestos roofing that I’d like to get rid of.

On the other hand back in the 1970s we used to throw asbestos sheets onto bonfires so it would explode and shower us in pretty snowflakes, my dad would get me to creosote fences and sheds with no gloves on and Jimmy Savile and Gary Glitter were on children's TV.
.

Good old days.......
we played Indians and Cowboys. Could put 'war paint' on our faces a stick feathers in the hair, without Daily Mail/ Dagens Nyheter doing an article about Cultural Appropriation. And usually the Indians lost, but nobody called us racists or Colonialists....


I dug a deep hole and put the broken sheets there, then good soil, then planted a tree on top. Victoria plum, my favourite.
Just to give me peace of mind, did not want a kiddie or a gardener in a future gen to gig them up.

 

[Paul_B]

I the UK I believe a home owner can take down things like an asbestos shed or garage legally. Small amounts of asbestos, double bagged can be disposed of by taking it to your nearest insulation installer that is asbestos trained / certified. Most will take small amounts of suitably bagged up.

That's what happened when our company found a large badge of Chrysostile / white asbestos fibre in the natural state in a filing cabinet. That's the worst of the asbestos types as if the others aren't bad enough. The local installer took it to a plastic lined skip and threw it in with all the other double bagged asbestos waste.

Personally I would not bother doing it myself. You can get all the gear to do it but that'll cost a bit. Plus what cost peace of mind that it has been done right with no risk to you or your family's health?

It's relatively safe if encapsulated in paint / concrete and has not been cut or fibres exposed. Keep it painted in that case.

A mate in the asbestos surveying and removal trade once told me an asbestos shed or garage that's made up of asbestos concrete panels sealed in paint costs £3000 to remove and dispose of. Not sure how true that was. It'll not be cheap though.

PS I'm no expert despite studying it at uni for a short period of time. I just know I don't want the risk. If I suspected a house I was buying had asbestos if walk away.

 

[petrochemicals]

I realise this is not even remotely bushcrafty, but I'm hoping someone on here may have experience with the stuff.
I could do to fit some soffit vents to my bungalow, but have found that under the UPVC soffits there is still the original AIB soffits, can these be cut with care and the suitable PPE or is it a flat out no no?
Any help with this would be great, if I cant fit the soffit vents then are there other cheap alternatives to help the loft space breath better?

Cheers

Turnip

How does a roof full of tiles not breathe, you can see daylight through most of them ? As for the asbestos i believe as long as you dont cut or drill it its ok, so break it if you want to remove it, get a good mask though. Spray it in pva to seal it to be sure before you remove it.

 

[Fadcode]

Here in Cornwall you can take asbestos to the local household waste centre, without charge, as long as you double bag it, and it's not done in the way of a business, so check with your local council to see if you can do this in your area.

It is not advisable to drill or cut asbestos,although you may have to break it into pieces to get it in the bag, the asbestos should be sprayed with water to contain as much dust as possible, this is not always possible if you are removing it from inside the loft, but even wetting it with a cloth should be helpful, keep the windows of your house closed while you do this work too, saves dust ingress,, It is essential to wear a respirator, goggles and head covering, protective clothing, these items can be bought quite cheaply from your local Screwfix, Toolstation, etc., also buy heavy duty bags to put the asbestos in
probably best to discard all these items once the job is done.
This job is probably best done when its raining.

The other alternative is to fit roof vents in your roof.

 

[Turnip]

How does a roof full of tiles not breathe, you can see daylight through most of them ? As for the asbestos i believe as long as you dont cut or drill it its ok, so break it if you want to remove it, get a good mask though. Spray it in pva to seal it to be sure before you remove it.

I understand what you're saying, but i dont see any daylight through mine because of the bitumen underlay, and the loft can't be breathing very well because the place is ridiculously hot through summer and damp through winter, so something isn't quite right!?

 

[Turnip]

Here in Cornwall you can take asbestos to the local household waste centre, without charge, as long as you double bag it, and it's not done in the way of a business, so check with your local council to see if you can do this in your area.

It is not advisable to drill or cut asbestos,although you may have to break it into pieces to get it in the bag, the asbestos should be sprayed with water to contain as much dust as possible, this is not always possible if you are removing it from inside the loft, but even wetting it with a cloth should be helpful, keep the windows of your house closed while you do this work too, saves dust ingress,, It is essential to wear a respirator, goggles and head covering, protective clothing, these items can be bought quite cheaply from your local Screwfix, Toolstation, etc., also buy heavy duty bags to put the asbestos in
probably best to discard all these items once the job is done.
This job is probably best done when its raining.

The other alternative is to fit roof vents in your roof.

Cheers mate, I'll have a look, council round here really isnt much cop though unfortunately!
I did think roof vents but wasnt sure what sort of flow rate you'd get?
the only reason I was thinking soffit vents was that the previous owner had fitted one, the vent was loose so when I took it out I saw he'd drilled through (what I assume) is AIB, I pushed a vent into the AIB as that was all I had at the time and need to go round it to seal, but now it seems odd having just one soffit vent! lol

 

[Janne]

Is there loft insulation placed all the way to the edge?
Edit: I assume you already have a ventilation arrangement high up, close to the ridge?

 

[Turnip]

no, there's a clearance from the edges.

 

[Janne]

I have been thinking: If I was in your situation I think I would drill a row of holes, using a hole saw bit, from above. High grade facemask, slow speed, no wetting but using a hoover with a HEPA filter.
Once holes are drilled, glue an Alu mesh over the holed.

(Replace hoover bag and filter outside the house)

The problem with Asbestos boards is that it is a such fantastic material!

 

[petrochemicals]

I understand what you're saying, but i dont see any daylight through mine because of the bitumen underlay, and the loft can't be breathing very well because the place is ridiculously hot through summer and damp through winter, so something isn't quite right!?

Don't bother with the vents. Insulate the cielings if they are not already, then where the sheets of bitumin underlay are lapped put something inbetween to make an opening, as much ventilation as you need. The laggers who do it on behalf of the energy saving trust do exactly the same thing. Proves your point about not quite right!

 

[Robbi]

Google "ventilated roof tiles" these are the answer to your issues.

Keep away from the asbestos under all but highly controled conditions by a registered asbestos removal company that will dispose of the hazardous waste and suppy a consignment note that may / will be required by the HSE

 

[Chalkflint]

Turnip
I don't claim to be an expert but I have a lot of experience dealing with hazardous materials including asbestos
As mentioned previously do not mess around with anything that looks like asbestos. Do not drill, sand or break it up. Don’t even touch it or wipe it
The hazard is not what you see it’s what you don’t see.
We are learning more about the hazards of exposure to Asbestos and other substances that cause lung diseases. The exposure limits and regulations are becoming even tighter since the days when I decommissioned hazardous plant work.
The big danger with asbestos is it entering the lungs where it embeds in the walls of the lungs and stays there. Asbestos in the lungs (Asbestosis) has a long dormancy period and symptoms can appear 30 years later which leads to a false sense of security. You drill some nasty stuff and a week later you are not coughing etc so you think you got away with it.
When dealing with asbestos you need to keep the dust down at all times. Do not drill it and think that by hoovering it you will remove it all. The hoover will not collect it all and any remaining dust will settle everywhere. By spraying it with water and keeping it wet you are concentrating it into a liquid which then runs or get sprayed all over the place where it then dries. Worst case scenario would be some water running out of sight where it dries and leaves a layer of asbestos dust. Months later it’s all been forgotten about and you have to do a bit of DIY or move a piece of furniture etc and and disturb the dust. You think nothing of it but you have just breathed in asbestos.
What started off as a stable sheet of asbestos straight forward and low risk has now become hazardous to your health.
Seek advice from an expert

Chalkflint

 

[Woody girl]

I have just had my housing association builder chappie round for a minor repair. I asked him about this and he said no ! Don't touch it at all. Any removal has to be done by experts and is horribly expensive and disruptive. Leave well alone. Do not drill or saw under any circumstances whatsoever. There are now rules and regs in place as regards asbestos . Please don't endanger your home and health with this. There must be an alternative solution. I'm no builder but I'd take his advice anyday. He knows his stuff.

 

[gonzo_the_great]

I certainly would not drill or saw concrete loaded asbesdos. But is there really a big risk from surface dust?

I had a contractor replace my roof a few years ago. Concrete loaded asbestos tiles.
At the time, I could dispose of the tiles for free, but as trade, he would have been changed. So the deal made was, I cleared the site and he knocked good chunk off the bill.

The tiles were all outside, and mostly broken in a big pile. So I hosed the lot down and bagged them up. Then hosed the site. Wearing a mask through the whole job, and the clothes I had went into the bin. (They were pretty much shop rags by then).
Dumped them at the local tip. No problems.
Though they did get upset about the broken ridge tiles and cement, which was rubble, and therefore chargeable!

I'd have thought that getting this stuff out of the house, before it gets to be a real liability, would be best. However you decide to do it.