Asbestos and asbestos cement removal

Asbestos removal is specialist work carried out by a contractor with trained staff and the right equipment. For a typical asbestos cement roof or cladding it usually includes:

• setting up the work area, marking it and keeping unauthorised people out,
• wetting the surface or spraying it with an encapsulating agent to bind the fibres,
• releasing and removing the sheets without breaking them, for example by cutting or pulling out nails and screws,
• lowering the sheets from the roof without throwing them, usually with a hoist or a chute,
• wrapping the sheets in heavy-duty polythene or bags and labelling them as asbestos waste,
• cleaning the work area, including battens, gutters and the surroundings,
• for indoor work, measuring the airborne fibre concentration once the work is finished.

Transport and disposal at a landfill licensed for asbestos is a separate item. In the NUMIQ price list it is charged by weight, per tonne. The work also excludes the new roof covering, new battens and flashings, which are priced separately.

Most often during a roof renovation, when the owner wants to replace asbestos cement with metal sheets or tiles. Also when an older building is converted or demolished, when windows with asbestos cement sills are replaced, and during bathroom refurbishments in older blocks of flats, where asbestos cement soil stacks are common. Removal is also needed when the roof is badly damaged, for example after hail or a storm. Broken pieces should then be picked up damp, not swept up dry.

If the asbestos cement is intact, undamaged and nobody works on it, there is usually no obligation to remove it immediately. Once a renovation, conversion or demolition is planned, however, the rules for working with asbestos apply. In buildings constructed before the national bans, which in most European countries fall between the late 1980s and 2005, asbestos-containing materials should be expected and checked before any work starts.

An asbestos cement roof is the most visible example, but not the only one. When older houses and flats are renovated, asbestos often turns up where nobody expects it:

• corrugated sheets and roof slates on houses, cottages, garages, sheds and barns,
• facade cladding made of flat asbestos cement panels, often on gables and under windows,
• soil, ventilation and rainwater pipes made of grey asbestos cement,
• chimney cowls and flue liners and panels around stoves and boilers,
• pipe and boiler lagging in older boiler rooms,
• some older floor tiles and adhesives, where asbestos was added as a filler.

By eye, asbestos cement is hard to tell apart from newer asbestos-free fibre cement. The age of the building is a useful guide, but only a laboratory analysis of a sample gives certainty. Leave the sampling to a specialist and do not break off pieces yourself.

The work goes quickly and smoothly where the roof is low with a simple shape, the sheets are intact and a lorry with pallets can park right next to the house. The job takes longer and costs more with:

• broken or brittle sheets that have to be collected piece by piece,
• steep or high roofs that need scaffolding and a hoist,
• indoor work requiring an enclosure, negative pressure and extraction,
• poor access to the property and long distances for carrying waste,
• asbestos cement covered by other layers that must be removed first.

EU law sets minimum requirements for protecting workers from asbestos, and every country adds its own rules on who may do the work, how it is notified and how the waste is handled. The details differ considerably, so always check the rules of the country where the property is located.

Qualified or licensed contractor

In most countries asbestos removal may only be carried out by contractors whose staff are trained for asbestos work, and in many countries the firm also needs a licence, registration or certification from the labour or health authority. Before signing a contract, ask for proof of the licence or registration, training certificates and a description of the method.

Plan of work and notification

The contractor normally prepares a plan of work and notifies the competent authority, usually the labour inspectorate or the public health authority, before the work starts. The notification states the location, dates and duration, the type and quantity of asbestos, the method, worker protection and waste handling. Lead times range from a few days to several weeks depending on the country.

In practice this means allowing several weeks between ordering and the start of work. If you plan to replace the roof in summer, contact a contractor well in advance.

Building authority

Check with your local authority whether replacing the roof covering or demolishing a building requires a permit or notification.

Removal by the owner

The rules for private owners vary most. Some countries allow owners to remove small quantities themselves after notifying the authority, others restrict the work to licensed firms. Public health bodies everywhere advise against owners stripping asbestos cement roofs themselves, because fibres spread to the garden, the house, clothing and the neighbours. The waste must in any case be handed over to an authorised collection point or landfill. If you are considering doing it yourself, ask the competent authority first.

Survey and plan of work

The contractor assesses the type of material, area, condition of the sheets, access and how the sheets will be lowered. It prepares the plan of work and handles the notification. If there is doubt whether the material contains asbestos, a sample is sent for laboratory analysis.

Preparing the site

The work area is marked and cordoned off. Windows and vents of the house are closed and taped, the surroundings are covered with sheeting. Workers wear disposable coveralls and respiratory protection with a P3 filter or FFP3 masks. For indoor work the area is enclosed and kept under negative pressure.

Wetting and encapsulation

The surface of the sheets is wetted with water or sprayed with an encapsulating agent that binds the fibres. Without this step, far more dust is released during handling.

Removing the sheets

The sheets are released one by one, without breaking them and without an angle grinder. Nails or screws are cut or pulled out. Whole sheets are lowered with a hoist or chute and are never thrown. Broken pieces are collected by hand and packed separately.

Packing and labelling the waste

The sheets are stacked on pallets and tightly wrapped in polythene or put into large bags. The packaging is labelled as containing asbestos. Under the European List of Waste, construction materials containing asbestos are hazardous waste with the code 17 06 05.

Cleaning and transport

After removal, battens and surroundings are cleaned, indoor areas are vacuumed with an H-class industrial vacuum cleaner. For indoor work, the airborne fibre concentration is measured. The waste is taken by an authorised carrier to a landfill licensed for asbestos. Ask for the waste transfer document.

• Breaking the sheets and throwing them off the roof. Untrained crews smash asbestos cement and drop it into a skip. This releases the most fibres.
• Cutting and drilling with power tools. An angle grinder or drill produces fine dust that travels far.
• Pressure washing the roof. Water under pressure washes fibres out of the surface into the soil and onto neighbouring properties.
• Waste in an ordinary rubble skip. Landfills reject such loads and the waste producer risks a fine.
• Burying it or dumping it in the countryside. Illegal and dangerous, and authorities prosecute such cases.
• Missing notification. A contractor that starts without notifying the authority breaks the rules, and you have no assurance the work was done correctly.
• Forgotten smaller items. Asbestos cement pipes, sills, chimney cowls or panels are overlooked in planning and stay in the building.
• Contaminated clothing in the house. Fibres are carried home on clothes and shoes, which is why disposable protective clothing is used.

Finished asbestos removal is not visible like plaster or tiling. What you check is mainly the paperwork and the method. At handover, make sure that:

• the contractor holds the licence, registration or training required in your country,
• the work was notified to the competent authority and you have a copy,
• workers wore protective coveralls and respirators with P3 filters,
• the sheets were wetted or encapsulated before removal and were not broken,
• the waste was wrapped, labelled and not left lying loose on the property,
• no fragments remain on the battens, in the gutters or in the garden,
• for indoor work, the fibre concentration was measured,
• you have a document confirming delivery of the waste to a licensed landfill, stating the weight.

Keep the documents. They are useful when selling the property, during inspections and if questions ever arise about where the waste ended up.

The removal itself is done by the contractor. The owner can still do a lot to make the job run smoothly:

1. Find out where asbestos cement or other asbestos materials are present in the building.
2. Collect the construction year and details of earlier alterations for the contractor.
3. Measure or estimate the area of the roof and other elements.
4. Request quotes from qualified contractors and check their licence or registration.
5. Agree a date with enough time for the plan of work and notification.
6. Check with the local authority whether the roof replacement needs a permit.
7. Order the new roof covering and roofer so the roof is not left open for long.
8. Tell the neighbours about the dates in advance.
9. Clear the area around the house and make space for pallets and lorry access.
10. Stay out of the work area during the job and keep children and pets away.
11. After completion, collect the waste documents and inspect the property.

In the NUMIQ price list, labour for removing asbestos or asbestos cement costs €20 per m². The price includes minor consumables. Sheeting, encapsulating agent and protective equipment are charged separately as materials, and so is the new roof covering. Actual prices vary by country, region and city.

Transport and disposal at a landfill for hazardous waste is a separate item in the NUMIQ price list at €245 per tonne. The weight is established by weighing when the waste is delivered.

The total price depends mainly on:

• the area and type of material, such as slates, corrugated sheets, cladding panels or pipes,
• the pitch and height of the roof and the need for scaffolding and a hoist,
• the condition of the sheets, since broken material takes longer to remove,
• outdoor or indoor work, where an enclosure, extraction and measurement are needed,
• the distance to the nearest landfill licensed to accept asbestos.

After the asbestos cement is removed, the new roof follows. You can price it, for example, with clay or concrete tile roofing or standing seam metal roofing. More items can be found under demolition work.