1970s Soffits - Asbestos?
TheScullster
Does anyone know whether the soffits in 1970s houses tended to contain
asbestos?
Our house is looking well-tatty as all the paint is flaking and falling off
the soffits. They look suspiciously like asbestos boards.
Our neighbours recently had all uPVC replacement stuff. When the company
came to fit these they claimed that they would have to engage "specialists"
to remove the soffits due to asbestos risk.
The specialists arrived and, using nothing more than paper nose/mouth masks,
proceeded to smash out the soffits with hammers!
Surely, if the soffits were high-risk asbestos, a more professional method
should be used. It certainly looked like the ideal way to release the
maximum amount of fibre/debris into the surroundings!
Any comments please?
TIA
Phil
RubberBiker
Bob Minchin
asbestos cement products unless you are working with them all day and
everyday. Blue asbestos as used in industrial insulation is the nasty stuff.
Bob
Invisible Man
I have seen enough mesothelioma claims to be wary of asbestos.
Having said that I have an asbestos cement garage roof.
Breaking it with a hammer after wetting is not too serious.
Do not drill it or sand it. As long as it is reasonably sound it should
not be a problem.
Household waste and recycling sites will not take it.
meow...@care2.com
> Bob Minchin wrote:
> > TheScullster wrote:
> >> Hi all
> >>
> >> Does anyone know whether the soffits in 1970s houses tended to contain
> >> asbestos?
Asbestos cement sheet was used, yes
> >> Our house is looking well-tatty as all the paint is flaking and
> >> falling off the soffits. They look suspiciously like asbestos boards.
so repaint. It wouldnt be very smart to remove what are safe and very
long lasting soffits to replace them with shorter lived wood or
plastic.
> >> Our neighbours recently had all uPVC replacement stuff. When the
> >> company came to fit these they claimed that they would have to engage
> >> "specialists" to remove the soffits due to asbestos risk.
> >> The specialists arrived and, using nothing more than paper nose/mouth
> >> masks, proceeded to smash out the soffits with hammers!
> >> Surely, if the soffits were high-risk asbestos, a more professional
> >> method should be used. It certainly looked like the ideal way to
> >> release the maximum amount of fibre/debris into the surroundings!
> >> Any comments please?
There is nothing high risk about white asbestos bound in cement. The
high risk asbestoses are blue and brown when _not_ bound in cement.
As for releasing fibres on breaking, the amount released would be
miniscule, and its white asbestos, not the nasty ones. If you had blue
asbestos boards thats different, and they should not be smashed. But
even there, simply painting them is the best option.
> > They were bullshitting you. There is minimal danger associated with
> > asbestos cement products unless you are working with them all day and
> > everyday. Blue asbestos as used in industrial insulation is the nasty
> > stuff.
> >
> > Bob
>
> I have seen enough mesothelioma claims to be wary of asbestos.
> Having said that I have an asbestos cement garage roof.
> Breaking it with a hammer after wetting is not too serious.
> Do not drill it or sand it. As long as it is reasonably sound it should
> not be a problem.
> Household waste and recycling sites will not take it.
Asbestos should be double bagged, then it can go in the waste stream
for landfill.
NT
Sam Farrell
for their policy on getting rid of cement asbestos. Mine has a special
arrangement with an asbestos handling depot. You just double bag it and take
it along.
Wear a mask when you break it and keep it damp.
Sam
<meow...@care2.com> wrote in message
news:65f3ae9a-3b58-48a9...@h28g2000yqd.googlegroups.com...
Geo
>Does anyone know whether the soffits in 1970s houses tended to contain
>asbestos?
>Our house is looking well-tatty as all the paint is flaking and falling off
>the soffits. They look suspiciously like asbestos boards.
<snip>
Ours are similar (1969). The problem with painting them is getting a decent
surface to start with. Removing the old flaky paint with sandpaper (above my
head) did not a brilliant idea so minimal preparation with sugarsoap. The "new"
paint has only lasted a few years and is flaking off again.
I also wanted to fit some vents for the loft space but my experience in cutting
a 100mm hole for an extractor fan has put me off. The damn stuff is almost
imposible to drill or cut. Had to nibble away at the hole with a pair of
electricians pliers.
Still, they must have used asbestos cement boards for some reason so
plastic/wood does not seem like a good replacement.
--
Geo
dennis@home
"TheScullster" <ph...@dropthespam.com> wrote in message
news:5qqdnRVAmqdbPHjU...@eclipse.net.uk...
You can have a sample tested.
If it is asbestos you have to enclose it before you start removal and take
regular air samples to prove you are not releasing the stuff.
It is an offence to release asbestos dust into the air these days so they
were either cowboys or it wasn't asbestos.
dennis@home
"Invisible Man" <Invi...@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:gs4bc2$1qi$1...@news.motzarella.org...
> Household waste and recycling sites will not take it.
I took some fibre cement board off cuts to the tip two weeks ago.
I had to argue with four people before I found someone knowledgeable to know
it wasn't asbestos and let me dump it.
dennis@home
"Geo" <hw9j...@dea.spamcon.org> wrote in message
news:90rbu491fb0b8sa5s...@4ax.com...
> Still, they must have used asbestos cement boards for some reason so
> plastic/wood does not seem like a good replacement.
It was cheap and appears to do the job.
Tim S
> Household waste and recycling sites will not take it.
Tunbridge Wells has an asbestos skip... It's next to the soil and clothes
recycling points. Usual procedure is to phone them first, double bag it
then take it down.
Cheers
Tim
Peter Parry
<den...@killspam.kicks-ass.net> wrote:
>You can have a sample tested.
>If it is asbestos you have to enclose it before you start removal and take
>regular air samples to prove you are not releasing the stuff.
Not if it asbestos cement (which it probably is).
geoff
<den...@killspam.kicks-ass.net> writes
Chapter and verse please ...?
--
geoff
george (dicegeorge)
> plastic/wood does not seem like a good replacement.
>
Wood is good.
[g]
meow...@care2.com
I thought fibgre cement was significantly more dough than timber. The
advantages here are its very long lived and totally maintenance free.
NT
meow...@care2.com
Wonder what paint you used. Did you wire brush it first?
NT
dennis@home
"geoff" <ra...@kateda.org> wrote in message
news:ByibMYXj...@demon.co.uk...
Go and look at the court cases.
You will find Marconi/GEC was fined £50,000 (IIRC) for removing asbestos
without taking the samples even though they agreed that the method used
would have prevented any stuff escaping.
Invisible Man
dennis@home
"Invisible Man" <Invi...@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:gs6sbr$vd3$1...@news.motzarella.org...
> dennis@home wrote:
>>
>>>> You can have a sample tested.
>>>> If it is asbestos you have to enclose it before you start removal and
>>>> take regular air samples to prove you are not releasing the stuff.
>>>> It is an offence to release asbestos dust into the air these days
>>>
>>> Chapter and verse please ...?
>>
>> Go and look at the court cases.
>> You will find Marconi/GEC was fined £50,000 (IIRC) for removing asbestos
>> without taking the samples even though they agreed that the method used
>> would have prevented any stuff escaping.
>>
>>
>>
> Surely not well preserved asbestos cement.
I don't know, I stayed out of that building while they did the work.
Geo
>Geo wrote:
>> <snip>
>> The problem with painting them is getting a decent
>> surface to start with. Removing the old flaky paint with sandpaper (above my
>> head) did not a brilliant idea so minimal preparation with sugarsoap. The "new"
>> paint has only lasted a few years and is flaking off again.
>Wonder what paint you used. Did you wire brush it first?
>
Did some fairly gentle wire brushing (by hand) on the worst bits but did not
want to start scoring the surface. Bog standard white gloss (oil-based).
--
Geo
geoff
<den...@killspam.kicks-ass.net> writes
Asbestos insulation
very different to asbestos cement as used in corrugated roofing, soffit
boards etc
--
geoff
Bettyboo
I recently had a quote from reputable up can Windows etc firm for replacements
of soffits and facias down pipes and gutters. It was going to be £5300 for a
detached 6x9 metre house with attached garage. They took a sample of soffits
and came back to me saying that it would need to be removed professionally at
a unmentioned extra cost.. I have cancelled the whole work.
Now, knowing it is there how would this affect the sale of my house ? Would a
surveyor know what was there by just looking round the house?
--
for full context, visit http://www.homeownershub.com/uk-diy/1970s-soffits-asbestos-554104-.htm
newshound
> replying to TheScullster, Bettyboo wrote:
> I recently had a quote from reputable up can Windows etc firm for
> replacements
> of soffits and facias down pipes and gutters. It was going to be £5300
> for a
> detached 6x9 metre house with attached garage. They took a sample of
> soffits
> and came back to me saying that it would need to be removed
> professionally at
> a unmentioned extra cost.. I have cancelled the whole work.
> Now, knowing it is there how would this affect the sale of my house ?
> Would a
> surveyor know what was there by just looking round the house?
>
harry
Only minimal precautions are needed to remove asbestos cement.
There is a government website on the topic.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/guidance/a14.pdf
tabb...@gmail.com
> I recently had a quote from reputable up can Windows etc firm for replacements
> of soffits and facias down pipes and gutters. It was going to be £5300 for a
> detached 6x9 metre house with attached garage.
> They took a sample of soffits
> and came back to me saying that it would need to be removed professionally at
> a unmentioned extra cost.. I have cancelled the whole work.
> Now, knowing it is there how would this affect the sale of my house ?
> Would a
> surveyor know what was there by just looking round the house?
Lots of houses are sold with asbestos in/on them.
Do youself a favour and get a sensible newsgroup client. This is news:uk.d-i-y.
NT