How To Recognise Asbestos Roof Tiles

Contact your local building authority to see if you can test for asbestos.

How to recognise asbestos roof tiles.

Vinyl tiles and decorative wall plasters commonly contain asbestos. Check for 9 in 23 cm 12 in 30 cm or 18 in 46 cm square tiles. Looking for physical indicators. Cut the tile carefully and place it in a plastic container.

Find an inconspicuous area in the roofing and mark a square inch of tile. In what era were asbestos roof tiles used. Cement asbestos cement tiles can last over 50 years but when it comes time to remove them care is needed. Accordingly if the material contains less than 1 asbestos it is safe and does not require removal.

Blow in asbestos was also frequently used for ceiling tiles and in ceilings above drywall before it was known to be dangerous. One of the main ingredients used in old asbestos tiles was asphalt so they were primarily made in dark colors only. Sbestos was once considered a miracle material used in everything from paint and pipe insulation to even tiling. Normally roofing tiles which contain asbestos have a white grey or bluish white colour.

Identification here can usually be visually identified by the presence of small fibers that is the asbestos roofing material on the end grain or any broken section of the product. Step 3 date the tiles. Testing tiles for asbestos. The cost of testing a small sample is reasonable.

The only way to know for sure whether your roof contains asbestos is to have a sample tested by professionals in a certified laboratory. Notify the person s in charge that you think asbestos is present or if you think work needs to be carried out by a licenced contractor. When inspecting the tiles look for parts that are grayish brown dark gray dark brown or black. The result of the test will lead you to the next step.

Vinyl or asphalt tiles that have these colors in it have a high likelihood of asbestos fibers. You should also when work resumes always follow the plan of work and essentials guidance sheets located on the hse website making. But when mixed with other materials it may be impossible to know whether asbestos has been added or not. Asbestos roof tiles were used from the early 1920s all the way in to the late 1980s.

Watch for an oily appearance to floor tiles which indicates that they are made from asbestos bound with asphalt. How to identify asbestos tiles method 1 of 3. If the tile has less than 1 percent asbestos then the results are negative.