Home  5  Books  5  GBEzine  5  News  5  HelpDesk  5  Register  5  GreenBuilding.co.uk
Not signed in (Sign In)

Categories



Green Building Bible, Fourth Edition
Green Building Bible, fourth edition (both books)
These two books are the perfect starting place to help you get to grips with one of the most vitally important aspects of our society - our homes and living environment.

PLEASE NOTE: A download link for Volume 1 will be sent to you by email and Volume 2 will be sent to you by post as a book.
Buy individually or both books together. Delivery is free!


powered by Surfing Waves




Vanilla 1.0.3 is a product of Lussumo. More Information: Documentation, Community Support.

Welcome to new Forum Visitors
 Join the forum now and benefit from discussions with thousands of other green building fans and discounts on Green Building Press publications: Apply now.

The AECB accepts no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of this site. Views given in posts are not necessarily the views of the AECB.



General: removal of asbestos cement roofing

Bottom of Page

1 to 17 of 17

  1.  
    • CommentAuthorjamesingram
    • CommentTimeMay 9th 2008 edited
     
    Hi
    Hyperthetically would it be better for our enviroment to bury/encase a small amount of asbestos cement roofing in
    the oversite under a solid ground bearing slab of a house
    or transport it, via a specialist skip , to the few waste sites that now deal with this in a similiar method (encasing it in concrete and protective membrane)

    I believe the enviroment agentcy used to advise the under the slab method , though I'd doubt they'd admit it now

    thanks for your thoughts
    James

    I've added these links below
    advice on dealing with asbestos cement from HSE



    http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/guidance/a11.pdf
    http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/essentials/cement.htm
    http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/guidance/a0.pdf
    • CommentAuthorTheDoctor
    • CommentTimeMay 9th 2008
     
    would be the best solution if nobody knows about it...

    i have a fair to get rid of, and no slab to put it under.
    the roof is unsafe, so will have to be a pull down rather than safe removal as well. tricky.
    • CommentAuthorjoe.e
    • CommentTimeMay 9th 2008
     
    The local practice where I live is to hire a mini digger and bury it in some discreet spot. Personally, I think encasing it yourself in a slab is as good a way as any to dispose of it, and it could be better than taking it to landfill in that there might be less handling involved, and thus less risk of losing bits in the undergrowth. If it was me, that's certainly what I would do, and I wouldn't tell anyone either. Take personal responsibility for it, and build a house on top that's so nice that no-one will want to knock down...
    • CommentAuthorpatrick
    • CommentTimeMay 9th 2008
     
    I have done a bit of "dig a hole and hide it" in my time but on reflection;

    We should take a bit of personal responsibility. How long will the unmarked slab remain in place there is no half life on asbestos. Ask my gt.uncle Ted (unfortunately you can't he died).

    We expect the necular industry to treat old cups and underwear as hazardous waste so we should be even handed.

    Alternatively if you feel that the effects of global warming will send us all to hell in a hand basket in 20 years time, then dumping in un-marked holes is a good as anything.

    Patrick
    •  
      CommentAuthorfostertom
    • CommentTimeMay 9th 2008
     
    There used to be a clear distinction drawn between asbestos-cement (safe because bound by the cement matrix) and other forms of asbestos. When did that change? Who exactly now says A-C is hazardous? How hazardous compared with other asbestos; compared with other hazards?

    What if the A-C was not just buried beneath concrete but mixed into it?

    If buried, is leaching into groundwater a problem? Are asbestos fibres dispersed into soil/subsoil a problem? e.g. deposited there by asbestos-bearing groundwater?
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeMay 9th 2008
     
    If you must remove it from where it is then you, as an individual, can take to the local amenity site in poly bags and leave them to dispose of.

    Why not leave it where it is? It is a very good long lasting roofing material.
    • CommentAuthorjoe.e
    • CommentTimeMay 9th 2008
     
    Not where I live you can't. The only way that you can legitimately dispose of the stuff is to wrap it in two layers of heavy plastic, neatly taped up, then take it yourself to a site run by a private company, and pay (I think) £60 per sheet for the privilege of having them bury it somewhere. Borderline extortion if you ask me, and I'd be intrigued to see the details of the tendering process whereby that particular monopoly was handed out, given that there's acres of the stuff on all the old farms and smallholdings around and about.
  8.  
    Tony said "Why not leave it where it is? It is a very good long lasting roofing material. "

    We had some asbestos/cement tiles on an extension to our slate tiled barn. The slates have been there for well over a century and most are still in excellent condition. The asbestos tiles were installed maybe 40-50 years ago and I was horrified at how they'd deteriorated. They had gone soft at the edges and the upward faces had disintegrated to the point where they were only half the original thickness in places. Our engineer told us asbestos tiles are fine if they're not broken or disturbed too much but from my experience this isn't always the case. HN
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeMay 10th 2008
     
    How sure are that the "artificial slates" are asbestos as opposed to an early version of the non asbestos cement ones?
  10.  
    I've had a lead/asbestos specialist check the whole place as part of the sales process as well as our engineer having a look. I can see the fibres in the cement where it has deteriorated into a soft, putty like substance around the edges of some of the tiles - yes I'm certain it's asbestos. It's the only time I've had to deal with it (and hopefully the only time I will ever need to) but I took the normal precautions (wet weather, mask, dustproof clothes etc.) so hopefully I haven't shortened my life by too many years but I'm facing the same dialemma jamesingram is facing; 'what do I do with it now?
  11.  
    We took some corrugated asbetos roofing off an outbuilding last year. Wet it first, masks, overalls, gloves, double bagged it, taped the bags, took it to a licensed depot, paid through the nose. The guys in the yard, wearing no safety equipment, ripped the bags open, chucked it in a skip and smashed it up with a sledge hammer...
    • CommentAuthorTheDoctor
    • CommentTimeMay 12th 2008
     
    my neighbour got his 12 year old grandson - in shorts and t-shirt, to smash up dozens of sheets of asbestos cement. THe resulting dust cloud on a hot still day still gives me the shivers.
    Local HSE were informed.
  13.  
    Thanks for your comment

    Tom raises some important questions
    ""CommentAuthorfostertom CommentTimeMay 9th 2008
    There used to be a clear distinction drawn between asbestos-cement (safe because bound by the cement matrix) and other forms of asbestos. When did that change? Who exactly now says A-C is hazardous? How hazardous compared with other asbestos; compared with other hazards?

    What if the A-C was not just buried beneath concrete but mixed into it?

    If buried, is leaching into groundwater a problem? Are asbestos fibres dispersed into soil/subsoil a problem? e.g. deposited there by asbestos-bearing groundwater? ""


    Leaching is a possible negative I can see in hiding it under the slab
    encasing it into the concrete should help with this

    Taking it to a specialist ,means that the landfill site can be controlled as a hazardous area for future generations
    rather than having little bits hidden here and there, is this better?

    You can , in some areas ,take small amount (approx.2 sheets) to local sites , if its from your own home and you supply prooof of address etc.

    I've been quoted £500+ for a small skip to drive it 100mile to a special site

    as Toms says, Why has A-C been added to the hazardous list, is it more so than gloss paint brushes cleaned out with white spririts and washed out in a sink?

    Chris, I liked your story ,it made me laugh out loud.

    thanks

    Jim
    • CommentAuthorEd Davies
    • CommentTimeSep 28th 2008
     
    Posted By: fostertomThere used to be a clear distinction drawn between asbestos-cement (safe because bound by the cement matrix) and other forms of asbestos. When did that change? Who exactly now says A-C is hazardous? How hazardous compared with other asbestos; compared with other hazards?


    Somebody recently, on this forum I think, suggested that asbestos cement is safe but I can't find the comment now (Google search in site). I was going to reply to that comment with a reference to Richard Wilson's blog entries such as these:

    http://richardwilsonauthor.wordpress.com/2008/09/23/bookers-38-bogus-claims-about-white-asbestos/
    http://richardwilsonauthor.wordpress.com/2008/09/06/bridle-unbuttoned-ofcoms-damning-ruling-against-bogus-expert-who-claimed-white-asbestos-posed-no-measurable-risk-to-health/

    but didn't bother as it's basically one person's word against another. However, Richard Wilson has now posted a quote which is pretty relevant and is relevant to Tom's question:

    http://richardwilsonauthor.wordpress.com/2008/09/28/more-on-bookers-bogus-claims-about-asbestos/
  15.  
    Hi, This would include the following sort of thing: Everite Asbestos Cement Standard Corrugated Sheeting ; Everite Asbestos Cement Bigsix Corrugated Sheeting : Everite Asbestos Cement Rainwater Goods ; Everite Asbestos Cement Flue Pipes, and Fittings for the Gas Industry ; Everite Asbestos Cement Smoke and Ventilating Ducts ; Everite. Asbestos Cement Pressure Pipes for Water and Gas Mains ; Everite Ridging, Louvres and Flashings ; Poilite Flat Building Sheets ; Poilite Asbestos Cement Slates (diagonal and rectangular).
    There is lots and lots of it out there
    Getting rid of it is a problem - so any advice is greatly appreciated

    Cheers, Mike up North
  16.  
    If you are lucky enough to live in the Sunbury area (Middlesex) the local tip will take up to 6 sheets of asbestos per person/address per day with no charge. As we live only 5 miles away and have an asbestos roof to strip off we are the lucky ones!
    • CommentAuthorDavipon
    • CommentTimeSep 30th 2008
     
    Recent experience here in Essex was that the local council will remove bagged low risk asbestos material for free.
    Suggest you call your local council to see if you can get something for your taxes!!

1 to 17 of 17

  1.  
Add your comments

    Username Password
  • Format comments as
 
Back to Discussions Top of Page
   
The Ecobuilding Buzz
Site Map    |   Home    |   View Cart    |   Pressroom   |   Business   |   Links   
Logout    

© Green Building Press