ASBESTOS ROOF?!?
Does anybody here know of or personally dealt with an asbestos tile roof before? A house that I am looking at rehabbing needs the roof replaced and it is asbestos (or so the owners told me)... What would be the cost associated with doing this type of repair - Any estimates out there? I'm trying to come up with an offer...
Thank you!
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My realtor told me his roof was asbestos and that the agency in charge of controlling whatever said that he had to have a "Hasmat" team come out and pull it all off, etc. The cost was a couple thousand just to remove. What he ended up doing was laying something over the Asbestos shingles and then laying Asphalt shingles over that. The environment people were okay with that.
I like that idea... I wonder if the town would go for that... I'll have to check it out!
Thanks!
[addsig]
Mattfish:
Please don't take this as legal advice regarding asbestos, but I worked in that field for about 10 years, so here is what I know.
The type of asbestos in roofing is what is called non-friable, meaning it doesn't easily crumble or release dust into the air (as compared to friable, such as pipe insulation). Often, with non-friable asbestos, it is better to leave it in place than it is to remove it, as removal could cause the asbestos to be released into the air (which is the only time it becomes a problem). So, it is possible that encapsulating it somehow (the material put over the roofing) and then shingling over it is a viable solution.
BTW, the only part of the roof that usually contains asbestos is the roofing felt and not the actual shingles. I guess they could, but my understanding is that the felt contains the asbestos.
If you leave it, it will have to be disclosed, however, but most of the fear about asbestos is unwarranted. It is only dangerous if you release the fibres into the atmosphere, and breath them in.
John
I just went through this a couple months ago.
The tile roofs are actually better then 95% of the stuff on the market today.
The one I rehabbed and sold was the original........over 60 years. Other than a few shingles missing, discoloration from mildew etc..........both of my roofing contractors told me to clean it up and leave it alone.
In my case I was looking at dealing with 40 plus squares.........which could have been removed, boxed up and taken to an appropriate location. However removing the tiles could create its own problem if not done with care.
I would suggest you do what I did.....take a small sample and have it analyzed.
You can find out the results bia email in often days....in my case I received the following by email...
"The roof tile sample you submitted for analysis contains 10 - 15% asbestos (type: Chrysotile).
This is an asbestos-containing material and its removal/disposal may be subject to state/federal regulations.
We will mail a written report to you in a couple of days. Please note that results are confidential. If you have any questions, please call or e-mail......"
I feel that the general public is not truly educated enough to make an unbiased decision on asbestos and mold/mildew.
With that said, I believe it is our responsibility to educate them with facts, not hype in which the media does in order to sell papers and obtain ratings.
I educated any and all potential buyers, explained to them the unwarranted cost and let them decide.
Speaking with numerous real estate agents, they have informed me that these two topics are not major reasons in which a client will run away.
Your case may be such that you are missing more shingles then you have to replace......in that case you may have very little options.
If you are looking at covering it up with another products then I would advise against it without consulting with a roofing contractor that can assure you it can be done without effecting the longevity of the product you are covering it with.
A while back I wrote an article that is still on this site about re-roofing over existing shingles etc........I would suggest you read that article.
NC_Yank
I roof over them or being in a small community and not worried about asbestos poisoning I remove them and through them in a dumpster and no questions are ever asked...
If I were in Portland that wouldn't fly
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It's not as bad as you think. The EPA downgraded asbestos tiles a few years ago to something like "hazardous only when sawed". Figures, since I paid big $$ ($3,000+) to have an abatement company remove it from my own house (ext. walls) a few years before that! As long as it is your primary residence, the City of St. Petersburg will let you get a home owners permit to remove it yourself and throw it in your trash (dumpster). BUT, if you want to take it to their dump, they still want you to wet it, put it in 3 mil plastic bags, 55 gal drums , etc and pay big $$$ per ton!!! The alternative is to take it to the next county , where they only require it to be in a plastic lined dump truck (and my roofer told me they don't even enforce that) for slightly more than regular roofing material. Check with your local code office to see what you can do or what can be done.
I saw a couple of other houses in that neighborhood get done the same way, roofers kicked butt on the removal / dry in and did it in one day.
My last rehab had a bugger of an asbestos tile roof, as it was BIG and very steep (7-12 pitch) to boot. An abatement contractor wanted to charge$17,000 JUST TO REMOVE / DISPOSE IT!!!! After much searching, I found a licenced roofer who did it everything for $11,000, including substantial facia, soffit & decking repair. He holds an asbestos certificate but he told the city it was a "tile" roof for the permit
Asbestos tiles for roofs and exterior walls were very popular / common here in the 40's -60's. GAF makes replacement tiles that match the old ones out of a concrete/ fiber. Some of the Home Depot stores here sell it.
I have a contract to purchase a 70 year old home in Florida that has an asbestos roof. I have been turned down by the Hartford for insurance, and now the only company that will insure me requires that I replace the roof first. The insurance company is only a B++. My message is to make sure that you get an insurance binder on any home with asbestos roofing or siding before you close on the home.