Is There Asbestos In Slate Roofs

What happened before the 1980s most artificial roofing slate was made from asbestos cement a material that had a long track record of successful performance.

Is there asbestos in slate roofs.

Some people will call cementitious shingles slate and those can be asbestos. Asbestos was banned in 1989 so as the buildings that incorporated it age their roofing and siding will fall into disrepair. If true slate the shingles are not asbestos. However many states still require a licensed abatement contract to handle this material in approved ways.

Corrugated cement our least favorite acm to encounter. There is usually underlying. The asbestos fibers inside slates can only be released when they are broken and this roofing material does not necessarily require removal although many people choose to do it. When a building is quite old it has a good chance of having asbestos building materials.

Asbestos was used from the early 20s to the late 80s. There are at least three types of asbestos shingles. Since asbestos building materials cannot be easily spotted with the naked eye the best clue is to find out when the roof was actually built. Their color ranges between grey light green peachy orange and even purple.

The asbestos fibers are contained inside the slate and cannot be released unless broken. Determine the age of the building. There are two parts to a slate roof. Many asbestos roofs and siding are damaged cracked or broken.

There is more information about asbestos roofs in the slate roof bible. Asbestos shingles were valued for being fireproof especially among those living in turn of the century communities where fire spread was a common concern. While not able to match the endurance of slate asbestos shingles were expected to last a minimum of 30 years enhancing their desirability. Asbestos siding in particular however has a tendency to chip crack and break with normal wear and tear of family life.

Health safety concerns related to the removal of asbestos containing roofs. He also states that the slates are in reasonable condition. It is not unreasonable to expect 100 years from a properly maintained asbestos roof. The surveyors report states that the roof slates will contain asbestos fibres and they are perfectly acceptable and safe so long as they are not disturbed.