FAQ About Asbestos Surveys and Removal
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral once widely used in construction for its strength and heat resistance. When disturbed, it can release microscopic fibres that, if inhaled, can cause serious health issues such as asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma.
Asbestos cannot be identified by sight alone. If your property was built or renovated before 2000, it may contain asbestos. A professional asbestos survey and laboratory testing are the only reliable ways to confirm its presence.
No. Asbestos was banned in the UK in 1999. However, many older buildings still contain asbestos materials installed before the ban.
You should not attempt to remove asbestos without proper training. While some low-risk materials (like asbestos cement) can legally be removed without a licence, safe handling and disposal are still essential. Higher-risk materials must be removed by licensed professionals.
Asbestos-containing materials in good condition and left undisturbed usually pose a low risk. However, it’s important to monitor and manage them to prevent accidental damage.
We begin with a risk assessment and planning, followed by safe containment and removal using specialist equipment. After the work is completed, the area is decontaminated and—if needed—air testing is carried out to ensure it’s safe.
Whether you need to remove an asbestos garage roof will depend on the condition of the roof and what your plans are. If you plan to carry out refurbishment , want to convert the garage or plan to demolish the building then you will need to remove the asbestos before carrying out the rest of the works. If the garage is damaged then removal of the asbestos is likely to be the best solution.
If there is minor damage such as small amounts of cracking to the asbestos sheets or chipped edges then encapsulation of the damage may be feasible. We can look at the garage and advise on the best course of action.
Garage, shed and outbuilding roofs are commonly roofed with asbestos cement and entire garages can also be constructed using asbestos cement sheeting. Asbestos garage roofs can often be identified as they are usually corrugated. The vast majority of these corrugated cement roofs contain asbestos. If in doubt we can carry out inspection and sampling to ascertain whether asbestos is present.
Garage ceilings will require remedial action if there is damage or refurbishment works or demolition is planned.
Garage ceilings can be lined with a variety of materials from Asbestos Insulation Board (AIB), asbestos cement or materials that look similar to asbestos but do not contain any asbestos. Lining to garage ceilings are common especially in integral garages such as those found in some townhouses. It may be wise to find out exactly what is present before incurring the expense of removal. If the ceiling does contain asbestos and is in need of repair has been disturbed by previous works or refurbishment is planned then removal is likely to be the best option.
Garage ceilings can be lined with AIB or similar asbestos board. This is a more friable material, more likely to release fibres and most commonly contains (Amosite) brown asbestos. If this board has raw edges these will require encapsulation. If damaged the board will need to be removed by Licensed Contractor. These works are carried out under very stringent conditions using a series of enclosures and air filtration to prevent asbestos fibre release. This can prove relatively expensive so it would be wise to confirm asbestos is present as other non-asbestos board materials can look very similar.
Garage ceilings may also be asbestos cement. If works are planned or the ceiling is already damaged then removal will be necessary.
Before considering the cost of artex removal you must find out if it contains asbestos.
Artex is the best known of the textured coatings applied to ceilings and walls reaching its peak in popularity in the 1970s and 80s. Some of these coatings contain a small amount of asbestos. Though two ceilings may appear visually identical though one may contain asbestos and the other not. it is not possible to determine whether asbestos is present without taking a small sample.
If found to contain asbestos and you wish to remove the textured coating then the cost will depend on whether it is on board or solid / concrete. We can carry out a site visit to give you an accurate cost.
However it may not be necessary to remove the coating as if in good condition it is often contained with several layers of paint applied over the years. If you prefer a smoother aesthetic then the artex can be skimmed over by a plasterer. Bear in mind that the asbestos will still be present so if you plan to change light fittings, put in down lights etc then you will disturb the asbestos. We can provide plastering if required and will carry out shadow vacuuming using a fine filtered vacuum when minor electrical works are carried out to ensure all fibres are caught.
It is a statutory requirement under the Control of Asbestos Regulations, most recently updated in 2012 to have an asbestos register in place for the common parts of blocks of flats. An asbestos Management Survey is a non-intrusive survey that will identify the location of asbestos, its condition and advice as to what remedial actions are required.
This provides the information to facilitate the asbestos register and management plan to ensure that those using the common parts and those carrying out works will not be exposed to asbestos.
