News

Asbestos Roof Solutions – 6th February 2019  Asbestos Roof surfaces -from Bonded to Friable on site, explained.   A recent asbestos roof inspection by Asbestos Roof Solutions, requested by a client who had received his yearly asbestos register update, revealed a major safety issue. The yearly asbestos register audit had been undertaken for the last six years, providing the client with guidance as to how to manage the asbestos on site. This year the 3,600m2 super six profile, asbestos roofs condition report, was upgraded from the asbestos contained within the roof sheets from being in a bonded state to now being in a friable state. In layman’s terms this means that the asbestos fibres that

Recent storm events on the east coast of NSW have highlighted the danger asbestos building materials can pose when they are disturbed. Asbestos Roof Solutions specialises in the encapsulation of asbestos roofs and these recent storm events highlight the danger to the community of asbestos in the environment. Asbestos Roof Solutions know from experience that weathered asbestos roofs pose a danger to the community because they can secrete asbestos fibres into the atmosphere. As an example of the hidden danger, Asbestos Roof Solutions recently assisted at a major manufacturing site in Western Sydney. A recent pea size hail storm at the facility blocked the gutters and downpipes causing rainwater to overflow into the inside of

A recent photograph taken at Asbestos Roof Solutions current site, shows three different roof sheets, adjacent to each other. Sheet 1                                                                                     Sheet 2                                                              Sheet 3 From the left (Sheet1) we can see a super six profile roof skylight sheet made from the latest fibreglass

During the installation of new box gutters at a Sydney facility with asbestos roofs, on site testing detected the presence of asbestos fibres in the gutters. This is a timely reminder to those who work near, or with materials containing asbestos, to take care and follow the correct work procedures, to protect your client, but just as importantly your employees. Weathered asbestos roof sheets are in a constant state of breakdown, due to the presence of lichen, secreting oxolic acid, which breaks down the cement content of the roof sheets, over time exposing the previously bonded asbestos fibres. Currently there are only two ways to stop this breakdown process, one is to remove and replace

Fibro asbestos roofs undergo a breakdown process similar to the rusting of metal roofs.   Asbestos roof sheets were constructed using Portland cement, water, then reinforced with asbestos fibres.   This photograph shows the extent of the breakdown of the surface of aged asbestos roof sheets. Losing the surface cement through weathering, the roof sheets become thinner from the upper surface. They then change to a darker colour and so attract more heat, being of limited flexibility, the roof sheets then expand and contract and eventually crack. You can liken this process to a metal roof undergoing the process of becoming rusty; you can treat the rusted areas, or wait until the roof sheet disintegrates

Asbestos Roof Solutions directors have a close affinity to the memory of Bernie Banton, the asbestos campaigner, whose struggle for justice of victims of asbestos related diseases was shown in the telemovie Devils Dust. Asbestos Roof Solutions have supported asbestos disease aid organisations over a number of years and were founder members of the Bernie Banton Foundation, a foundation formed by Bernie’s wife, Karen Banton. Working in and around people who help asbestos disease sufferers, constantly reminds us of the care we need to take every day, while working on asbestos roof repair and restoration. Asbestos Roof Solutions have collected data from roofs over a number of years, which shows us that ALL asbestos roofs

Asbestos Roof Solutions News – 6th June 2018 Asbestos Roof Solutions knowledge and experience assists building owners to address Asbestos in the workplace issues. At a site in Milperra in Western Sydney, we were able to assist a building owner to comply with the directives of a building report received from his insurance company, with regard to the condition of the buildings fibro asbestos roof. The insurance company prior to reinsuring, directed the owner to provide compliance with the recommendations of reports on the condition of the roof surface. Tests showed that the asbestos roof surface had broken down and asbestos fibres were being released into the environment. The photograph of the gutter line at

Asbestos Roof Solutions News – May 2018 As evidence that fibres do become loose from the surface of asbestos roofs, the accompanying photographs, show fibres, from a weathered asbestos cement roof, In recently cleaned box gutters, at a job site in April 2018, in Sydney NSW.   Weathered asbestos cement roof sheeting, (Fibro) undergoes a weathering process after many years of exposure and a loose surface layer develops, which on roofs becomes colonised with dark coloured lichen. The lichen, a type of fungus, secretes oxalic acid, attacks the cement, causing exposure of the asbestos fibre. The surface becomes unstable, the asbestos cement sheeting is weakened and the darkened colour causes a substantial increase in roof

The accompanying photographs in our web site gallery show the results of before and after photographs of a recently completed job in Concord, Sydney.  In this instance we were employed by a major Industrial strata management company. This of itself is not unusual, what is unusual, or one would hope is unusual, is that the company informed us that they had called 31, yes thirty one companies before they spoke with anyone (Asbestos Roof Solutions) who believed they could repair, not replace the entire roof, which had been vandalised in order to steal some copper gutters. Following site inspections and meetings with Insurance assessors, our quotation was accepted by the insurance company involved and the