The paint on my garage is flaking and pealing and needs to be removed before I re-paint the asbestos cement panels. Are there any particular precautions I should take or methods of paint removal that I should avoid (e.g. sanding, scraping, burning off or nitromorse) and any particular paint I need to use when repainting? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
The problem with asbestos is the fibres and only arises when they are able to get 'free' from material. On the whole this makes 'bonded asbestos' (which is what you have) fairly safe PROVIDED you don't break/drill/cut it etc.
Sanding and scraping would therefore both be bad ideas, sanding in particular since it gives rise to airborne dust in large volume. At least with burning you are unlikely to set anything on fire! however this usually still requires scraping to get the paint off.
It would be better to try and consolidate the current paint and then paint over it without removal. Maybe you could try painting on a bonding coat of diluted PVA first.
If you really must get the paint off (again advice would be not to) then scraping is better than sanding and you should hire/buy a good quality face mask. You also have the problem of cleaning up the scrapings which you should think about beforehand. It really is best avoided, try the bonding route first.
Fash
Avoid sanding or burning off. Generally theres no need to remove anything that isnt sound, so a quick run over with a scraper is usually enough.
Use what paint you want. Only if the asbestos is crumbling would you need to pick a paint that will glue it back together.
PVA precoating is not recommended unless the surface is disintegrating, as theres no need for it and it can make painting problematic.
NT
a pressure washer might take it off and should be fairly safe i'd imagine?
And what happens to the released fibres when they dry out afterwards and blow about?
what released fibres?
NT
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