Asbestos Slate Tile Roofs

Asbestos roofing tiles are predominately comprised of cement.

Asbestos slate tile roofs.

The roof covering you are describing is a man made fibre cement slate they used to contain asbestos and an asbestos survey is usually carried out prior to any removal works. Their color ranges between grey light green peachy orange and even purple. Types of asbestos in roofing tiles the building industry in the uk used three types of asbestos during the heyday for asbestos use. Although most asbestos products are not really hazardous per se they can be when the fibers become airborne.

Depending on the manufacturer the cement tiles comprised typically of between 10 15 asbestos. We find them on a lot of old farm buildings. When they are inhaled or touch the skin they can be dangerous. This combination was first used in europe in the 1870s.

Some have a natural camber but i have not yet witnessed a natural slate curling at the edges over time. Health safety concerns related to the removal of asbestos containing roofs. Asbestos based artificial slate or cement asbestos roof tile production based on the use of asbestos cement as the primary material was winding down by the 1980s. Each type has a different associated risk level with white being the least dangerous and blue being the most.

In addition to its heat and fire resistant properties asbestos has excellent strength and durability features. Most asbestos products are not hazardous but have the potential to become hazardous when the asbestos fibres become airborne. Over time asbestos shingled roofs take on a weathered appearance that looks a lot like slate. In fact sometimes asbestos shingle roofs look so much like slate that they get passed off as slate by real estate agents to unsuspecting home buyers.

However asbestos can also often be found in roof shingles or tiles. Asbestos tile is a type of roofing tile made up of a combination of portland cement and asbestos fibers and various fillers. While a tile that contains asbestos will be referenced as an asbestos tile it should be noted that these tiles are not made up of solely asbestos. Asbestos cement roofing shingles tiles or slates performed well for decades.

The reason why asbestos roof tiles should be replaced for safer alternatives is because of the asbestos fibres used to construct the tiles. 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. The asbestos content will vary on the manufacturer but the content will typically be 15 or less. The main reason why asbestos roof tiles need to be replaced by safer alternatives is that the asbestos fibers used to build the material pose a health hazard when inhaled and when they come into contact with the skin.

Chrysolite white amosite brown and crocidolite blue.