Asbestos Removal

factnee

Having recently gone sale agreed on a property in Dublin, I subsequently got a survey carried out which found that there was asbestos in the slates on the roof. The house itself is about 75 square metres. I’m just wondering how much it will cost to get the slates removed and disposed of as obviously I’m going to have to renegotiate the price

D13exile

I work on building projects where asbestos is sometimes present. Once people hear the word asbestos (like radiation), they panic and run for the hills. So long as the slates are not disturbed, there is no reason to have them removed from the house. The asbestos in them is only hazardous if they are broken and the fibres within are released into the air. In your case, the fibres would most likely be blown away on the wind and not into the habitable spaces of the building.

However, if you do wish to have the slates replaced, you will need a firm that is certified to work with asbestos and has a licence to dispose of the slates in a safe manner. You cannot get any local builder/handyman to do this work. The cost of removing the slates and their safe disposal will be high, and then you'll have to factor in the cost of replacing them. I can recommend a few firms who do this kind of work if you wish but I honestly think you are worrying about nothing. Ask yourself, do you really need to do this?

On the other hand, if the asbestos was in the building, I would have a different viewpoint as you may disturb it if carrying out renovations.

I was looking at a house with a large asbestos roof not too long ago.
So I rang around looking for info.
I was told that I could remove and bag them myself,(taking precautions of course)and pay to have them taken away.
It was 400e per 1000kgs.
But as D13exile say its best to leave well enough alone.

D13exile

The firms I've worked with in asbestos removal seal the workspace off, they enter through an "airlock" and they wear something akin to spacesuits. The air is then tested for residual asbestos fibres following the removal works. It is definitely not a job where you'd strap on a mask from Woodies and have at it. Asbestos is an indentified carcinogen but if it is left undisturbed, it is safe.

It's definitely not a job I'd take on myself without proper training and equipment.

factnee

D13exile wrote: »

However, if you do wish to have the slates replaced, you will need a firm that is certified to work with asbestos and has a licence to dispose of the slates in a safe manner. You cannot get any local builder/handyman to do this work. The cost of removing the slates and their safe disposal will be high, and then you'll have to factor in the cost of replacing them. I can recommend a few firms who do this kind of work if you wish but I honestly think you are worrying about nothing. Ask yourself, do you really need to do this?
/QUOTE]

The survey report says that there is clear evidence of curling in the slates and that they should be replaced.

D13exile

I put new slates on my house 14 years ago and they all started to curl within two years. Had the house another 10 years after that but never had water penetration. Just don't buy manufactured slates from a well known Irish supplier :rolleyes:

Look, at the end of the day, it's up to you whether to buy the house with the asbestos slates on it or try to get a reduction to allow for their safe removal and replacement. In the current market, you might lose the house to someone who will buy it "as is". Your call.

Markcheese

D13exile wrote: »

The firms I've worked with in asbestos removal seal the workspace off, they enter through an "airlock" and they wear something akin to spacesuits. The air is then tested for residual asbestos fibres following the removal works. It is definitely not a job where you'd strap on a mask from Woodies and have at it. Asbestos is an indentified carcinogen but if it is left undisturbed, it is safe.

It's definitely not a job I'd take on myself without proper training and equipment.

I think a lot must depend on the type of asbestos, and what form it'll be removed in... Removing slates from a roof and bagging them (while not inconsequential) is not the same as removing asbestos lagging and insulation from an enclosed boiler room,

Dudda

Keep in mind that you may need an asbestos removal company to clean your gutters as they get filled with asbestos particles from the slates. This might depend on the slates and type of asbestos.

I know one public building that haven’t cleaned their gutters in about 10 years as the asbestos report says they have to be cleaned by an asbestos removal company and now have leaks in the roof causing internal damage. Weeds as big as small trees growing out of the gutters but the caretaker won't touch them and rightly so I suppose.

furandfeather

factnee wrote: »

Having recently gone sale agreed on a property in Dublin, I subsequently got a survey carried out which found that there was asbestos in the slates on the roof. The house itself is about 75 square metres. I’m just wondering how much it will cost to get the slates removed and disposed of as obviously I’m going to have to renegotiate the price

It ll cost you roughly between €1.30 and €1.50 per slate to get it stripped bagged and removed. You'll also need scaffolding, new felt and leaths, a slater and slates to put back on. Unless they were leaking I wouldn't bother touching them