Car port roof - asbestos

[Thingsthatgo]

I have been asking around for recommendations for companies to remove the roof of our car port. We know it contains a low level of asbestos because we had it tested. The roof is made up of a few overlapping sheets.
All of the companies we talk to say to just do it ourselves with decent PPE. Double bag it and take it to the tip.
Is this a reasonable idea? Or a terrible one?!

😮😮😮 NOOOOOO!!!!

No. You really don't want to do that.

Please contact a specialist firm that deals with asbestos removal - ordinary builders won't want to do it.

You really should get a specialist in. It's not worth the risk.

Sounds about right;

https://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/licensing/non-licensed-work.htm

'Asbestos cement products' can be removed without a licence and without notifying the council as long as it's in good condition and you don't plan on deliberately breaking the stuff up. Asbestos won't do anything to you if it's not broken up. It's the breaking up bit that's the problem. Breaking up over a long period of time in an enclosed space will increase the risk further.

Not every tip will take them, or at least, that's the case here. We had a similar roof to dispose of, and had to give notice to a specific centre that it was being brought in.
I wouldn't piss about with that evil stuff.

I was in the same situation OP. My builder advised me that removal was no problem with basic protective gear. The issue was disposal one the roof had been removed.

Get in touch with your local council to see how they want it disposed of and where there's a suitable site.

Our local tip takes asbestos…… just needs to be double bagged. You tell them you have some ,they open it up and you put it in. They don’t check anything , so you could be putting body parts in it and they wouldn’t know. 🙂

Ive dismantled a few asbestos clad garages op , decent mask ( not a covid one ) and a good pair of gloves and your away.

if the sheets come off whole then you can just stack them and pay for someone to take them away.

if your taking them to the tip ive found they are quite brittle and break up easily so you can bag it up.

you can wet them with a hose pipe if you like before you break them up, never done that but supposedly keeps any dust down.

Yes, apparently our local tip takes them double bagged. We are supposed to call beforehand to check that there is enough space. It's pretty old though - not in great condition. Not sure I want bags of asbestos in our car either.

@Thingsthatgo I have had difficulty getting companies interested in this work on a small building. In the end a large contractor did it via a sub contractor. I checked what he did and it was a decent job. Safely carried out. So you just have to find a contractor - via the web? Then hope they call you back!

Take the companies advice. You're outside for a start and if they dont want the work then it'll must be safe enough. As long as you bag it sufficiently it shouldnt get in your car. Or if youre that bothered, hire one for like £30 for the day.

You are supposed to have a registered contractor. If the sheets are not broken it might just be ok with proper masks being worn but if it’s in poor condition it’s not really a diy job. I’d just keep phoning registered contractors. Not builders.

We got an asbestos removal specialist company for our garage roof. It cost £2k. They wore proper hazmat suits, mask, gloves, and we had to notify neighbours

Please don't do this. You're risking exposing the next people who hire the car, or the people valeting it without a proper hepa filtered vacuum. Bits can break off, even ours done professionally some parts broke off

How can bits break off if it’s double bagged ( strong bags not bin liners ) and the bags are taped up ? That’s the idea of double bagging it.

Way too much hysteria on here about asbestos

cement based asbestos is low risk unless your grinding / cutting it in to dust and being exposed to it regularly/ long term.

Yes that’s the standard removal process for sheet asbestos. I’m going to wrap some this week and take it.
You should do it on a wet day. It’s heavy when it’s wet but it won’t be dusty. Don’t break or cut any sheets.
Really thick plastic is needed. Ideally a roll of visqueen and good tape.
You don’t have to go down the white suit route if you chuck all your clothes out afterwards. But it would be wiser.
Mines off the roof and on the ground. There’s very little of it and it’s unbroken and not shedding. I’ll get it thick sacks ( as it’s small enough) tape up the joints then wrap in vis queen and tape up the joints. I could put it all in one package but it will be heavy to lift. It will go in two or 3 packages. There should be no risk to you car after it is wrapped as you have to seal it well enough on each layer to ensure nothing escapes.
After the first wrap take suit off put in a thick sack with your clothes. Do this outside. Then go straight in the shower. Risk further reduces if it’s raining

Then fresh suit second wrapping and taping and bin clothes and suit again. Shower
then take it to the tip.

This is the total belt and braces method. The risk is fairly low from this type of asbestos without protection and we were probably more exposed at home and school in the 1980s and 1990s.

Visqueen is thick plastic which can be purchased from builders merchants. Normally used as the damp proof course under floors don’t is difficult to puncture

DO NOT BREAK THE SHEETS

Please get it removed properly.
We lost my mum to a horrible cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. The likelihood is that she was only exposed to a few fibres many years ago- definitely not prolonged exposure. She suffered horribly. It's just not worth the risk. Leave it to the experts.

If you live in / around Kent OP, I can send you the number of the removal company we used a few weeks back. They are registered and licensed and did the job properly.

It's not safe. The clue is there - they don't want to do the work!! Why would that be? Because they don't want to touch asbestos with a bargepole, that's why.

@leeverarch There are specialised companies who remove asbestos. They have to be registered. Anyone not registered should not do it. However OP needs to look more widely. These companies can be some distance away but have local operatives. Some are national. It’s a case of perseverance. My DM had a whole garage removed for £1400.

You can take it double bagged to certain this but it's often by appointment

It's also worth hiring a small van

Use strong rubble bags and put them into a strong bag eg hippo bag

My father died is asbestosis, we still did our garage roof ourselves. With proper PPE there is a very small risk. It was too small a job for any contractors to do 😔

I know. See the first reply on the thread. Made by yours truly.

@Diyextension because it's likely bits will break or crumble off. If someone who doesn't know what they're doing bags it in the wrong stuff or contaminates the outer bag, it can get in the boot. We had ours professionally removed, and there were still broken bits, small bits etc. It's not fair to offload the problem to a hire car. Line your own car boot with plastic