In the early 1920s american roofing material manufacturers johns mansville carey eternit and century were all offering at least one asbestos cement roofing shingle to their customers.
Asbestos roof ridge tiles.
Sbestos was once considered a miracle material used in everything from paint and pipe insulation to even tiling.
The asbestos content will vary on the manufacturer but the content will typically be 15 or less.
The fire resistant properties of these roof tiles weren t the only reason they were so popular as asbestos is incredibly durable and strong.
However once considerable testing proved that it was a killer the miracle became a nightmare to deal with and remove.
It may be difficult to find asbestos replacement tiles that match the original roof in color although we link to a page listing sources of asbestos tiles.
However asbestos can be a range of colours depending on the material it is mixed with.
This is because until the 1980s asbestos was not fully recognised to be hazardous to the health of anyone exposed to its fibres.
Asbestos roof tiles were used from the early 1920s all the way in to the late 1980s.
Tiles which contain asbestos include mastic or bitumen based pressed metal roof tiles that were produced prior to the early 1980s.
Asbestos roof tiles are usually square shaped and their colour is generally a combination of grey and black.
Asbestos roof removal and replacement.
Having or buying a home with asbestos tiles does not mean you need to remove the tiles especially if they are still in good health.
Asbestos roofing tiles are predominately comprised of cement.
This type of roofing material can have various colors from different shades of grey to red green and even blue.
This is why knowing how to identify asbestos roof tiles and removing asbestos roof tiles is highly recommended if they re damaged or old.
Regular flat shingle tiles standard lap are shown below as are common diamond shaped tiles and side lap tiles.
Asbestos roof tiles can be dangerous the main reason why asbestos roof tiles need to be replaced by safer alternatives is that the asbestos fibers used to build the material pose a health hazard when inhaled and when they come into contact with the skin.
They can last for more than 40 years and if undamaged they pose little risk of exposure.
All mastic or bitumen based pressed metal roof tiles should be suspected of containing asbestos.
The only way to accurately identify asbestos roof tiles is to have them tested by a ukas accredited laboratory.
Asbestos cement roof tiles are usually square shaped and their color is a combination of grey and black.
