Is There Asbestos In Slate Roofs

Asbestos shingles were valued for being fireproof especially among those living in turn of the century communities where fire spread was a common concern.

Is there asbestos in slate roofs.

Regular flat shingle tiles standard lap are shown below as are common diamond shaped tiles and side lap tiles. Asbestos was used from the early 20s to the late 80s. Thankfully slate last for so long you don t run into the need to replace it often. When a building is quite old it has a good chance of having asbestos building materials.

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. There is more information about asbestos roofs in the slate roof bible. There is usually underlying. While not able to match the endurance of slate asbestos shingles were expected to last a minimum of 30 years enhancing their desirability.

However many states still require a licensed abatement contract to handle this material in approved ways. The asbestos fibers are contained inside the slate and cannot be released unless broken. He also states that the slates are in reasonable condition. If true slate the shingles are not asbestos.

When the use of asbestos became forbidden manufacturers rushed to replace asbestos containing products with cement based products reinforced with non asbestos materials. 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. Corrugated cement our least favorite acm to encounter. 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.

There are at least three types of asbestos shingles. Asbestos was banned in 1989 so as the buildings that incorporated it age their roofing and siding will fall into disrepair. Many asbestos roofs and siding are damaged cracked or broken. 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. Their color ranges between grey light green peachy orange and even purple. Determine the age of the building. It is not unreasonable to expect 100 years from a properly maintained asbestos roof.