Asbestos ?

[m4tty]

Hi,

My pal wants to replace the facia on his maisonette but is worried that the existing sheeting is asbestos.

Is there any way of checking if its asbestos?

The building was built in 1974.

Here are the pictures.

Thanks in advance for any info or advice

 

[Sidewinder]

Is it cold or warm when touched?

 

[samson337]

It looks like the cement type asbestos, if broken then it releases its fibres, but could be wrong

 

[Andy™]

Is it cold or warm when touched?

its summer, so it should be hot cold

 

[m4tty]

Is it cold or warm when touched?

I'll feel it in morning and report back

Thanks

 

[samson337]

Hahaha have a good time

 

[Steve3948]

But if its raining it will be cold, and if before 1pm and its on the west side of the house it won't get warm even with the sun out. O)

 

[ProDave]

I would caution against this.

Not only because of what it might be made of, but what it will look like.

If he puts on different cladding to the rest of the block, it will stand out like a sore thumb, a bit like an imitation stone clad house in the middle of a red brick terrace.

I would also question does he have the right to alter the outside of the building. If it's leasehold (quite likely darn sarf) he may not have the right to make external alterations without first seeking permission.

On a related subject, there's a row of asbestos clad prefab cottages not far from here. I once turned down a job in one of those (fitting storage heaters from scratch) because I was worried what I might be drilling through. But these cottages have just been re clad in timber planking, but they didn't strip off the asbestos, they left it there, sheeted it with tyvec and fitted the wooden cladding over the top of it.

 

[karlb]

If he is that worried get a survey done

 

[m4tty]

Hi ,

Thanks for the replies guys.

Its been quite hot and sunny here today and its reasonably cold to touch.

Heres some more up close pictures. I think its asbestos

View attachment 3961View attachment 3962View attachment 3963

 

[revjames]

dont underestimate the dangers. I had to do a funeral of a man who died of asbestosis. That was bad enough but the cremation took 3 weeks.....

 

[Evans Electric]

Attachments didn't work M4tty !

TBH I can't imagine what else it will made from .

 

[Manator]

Attachments didn't work M4tty !TBH I can't imagine what else it will made from .

Try this

 

[samson337]

To be honest i would be more worried about the timber thats rotted away. As been said previous changing it might not be in keeping with the building, but a good lick of paint would probley transform it tbh

 

[Sidewinder]

Asbestos is a very good thermal insulator, thus if you touch it it should reflect the heat of your hand back at you.

Thus, it should feel warm to the touch.

I can't see the exact details of the sheets, however, the CAWR requires that everything, & they mean everything is considered an ACM until proven otherwise.

If ACM's are suspected then the duty holder for the premises is under a statute law duty to get a suitable asbestos survey done.

Until then nothing is touched, else it is a criminal offence.

I suspect a refurbishment survey will be required. As far back as '74 it could be an ACM.

Not cheap, and probably not what you wanted to hear, but, CAWR is statute law.

Also as the Rev suggests in his own jovial way, Asbestos does kill, not instantly, but given the right set of circumstances etc. it does kill people.

 

[m4tty]

Ok thanks. Everyone else in the block has had it changed to upvc facias which looks better and he wanted to do the same but it would need to be removed as over boarding it would bring out too far and wouldn't fix through the corrugated stuff incase particles get airborne. May have to get a quote from asbestos company not the gipos lol . Thanks all for advice much appreciated

 

[OnOff]

That's some nasty sh!t that. The father in law has just been diagnosed with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). He worked in a power station up until the early 1980's and used to get inside lined flues etc. He was also present when a section filled with powdered asbestos for want of a better word was dropped and went airborne through the whole place. He's had a lung x-ray EVERY YEAR for 30 years. The second to last showed an anomaly which they said was nothing to worry about but now this year, this diagnosis. No cure.

 

[steptoe]

OnOff, liked in the worst possible way, if you understand,

Ive probably drilled 50-150mm holes through asbestos for about 4 years before it became such an issue, I just dont tell the missus the way I think sometimes, she reckons its the cigs!

I DONT want to know.

as for the pix, deffo looks, and 'feels', assy to me.

 

[batty]

I know what you mean Steps every time I get a dodgy throat or something I think of asbestos. Remember working in a loft full of pipes lagged with the dodgy stuff. This should have been removed years ago but its only idiots like me that work for these people that know its there and don't do anything about it.

 

[steptoe]

Batty, nobody thought anything of it , it wasnt as if it was ignored, it just wasnt a danger!

i REMEMBER PUTTING SOMETHING IN EXCESS OF 300 100mm holes in a ceiling for vents once,

I now know/realise, that the chances of that being assy are >80% , it wasnt known to be an issue then.

---------- Post Auto-Merged at 00:18 ---------- Previous post was made at 00:18 ----------

sorry about the caps, :Blushing