Garage roof repair

[F]

My father's garage roof is made from corrugated asbestos sheets with the apex gap covered with galvanised angled sheeting (a triangular section with the apex curved and no base (IYSWIM).

Two of the apex sheets have rusted and come loose and I've been out and got replacements for them.

I've been told that if I nail them through the asbestos into the roof timbers with 'black caps' as the previous ones were, then the asbestos sheets may well crack badly. Is there an alternative way to fix them? No more nails?

TIA

[The Natural Philosopher]

Drill the asbestos first.

And use screws.

[R]

After dampening it of course or applying some light grease to keep the dust down.

Screws is the way to go, with some plastic caps to spread the load and reduce water ingress.

[Brian G]

In the open air and cement/asbestos roof sheets generally being under 14% of low risk white fibre - drilling a couple of holes is hardly a health risk!

No problems using the 'proper' corrugated roof fixing nails and caps - providing of course there is a rafter/ridge/cleat under the sheets/crests to fix to (as already stated in the OP) - then rust protected screws would be the way to go.

The proviso as always with this type of fixing (whether nailed or screwed) - is to tighten things just enough so the cap forms the water resistant seal without being seriously deformed/crushed.

Brian G

[R]

Have you ever tried to get the fibres out of your eyes then?

[terry]

Agree have drilled used asbestos sheet in small amounts without any problems. Most recently a heat shield some 12 inches over a wood stove funnel/chimney bend as it entered the masonry chimney; because its clearance from wood joists above did not meet minimum code for unprotected clearance. Took scrap asbestos sheet outside on drizzly day (to keep dust down) trimmed it to size and carefully drilled six holes, using mask and safety goggles. But for any drilling especially out in the open (and on a dry day?) where any type of dust/residue may blow around do you not use safety glasses etc.? Just normal 'safety practice', surely?

[Brian G]

Never had to when I was doing for a living - you bore a hole with a drill, not your eyes - and if you're that close to the hole, you either need glasses or a new pair of 'em. Now if it was overhead, then your response would be halfway there!

Brian G

[F]

Thanks for all the responses they were very useful.

Looks like I'll be drilling and then screwing some damp asbestos to fix the apex sheets.

As an aside, there are some old sheets of corrugated asbestos I've found hidden in the garden. The local council will accept them so long as I make an appointment at one specified waste management station at least

24 hours earlier, wrap and seal the sheets in two layers of 1000 grade Visqueen and then cross their palms with £14.90 for each 100kg.

[R]

Best of luck with the asbestosis then

[meow2222]

Its a big problem, but not for people drilling one hole a year in white. Lot of scaremongering about though.

NT

[Brian G]

If that's going to be a problem, it should start showing around now as I've been using the stuff from the age of 15 up until I took early retirement at the age or 52 some 6 years ago - not through ill health I may add!

During that time I was also involved in the control of workmen using asbestos and of an asbestos disposal team, the health and safety aspect of asbestos usage (Blue, Brown and White) - along with the *necessary* protective procedures (including PPE at point of use) and disposal and I still have much of the information filed away in the ubiquitous attic storage area - so if you can *genuinely* beat that, then please say so!

To put things into perspective - there's more danger in the over-processed, additive and pesticide filled foods that we eat than in drilling a couple of holes in a cement/asbestos roof sheet in the open air without any PPE!

Brian G

[meow2222]

IIRC asbestosis kills a couple of thousand a year, so serious, but not one of the top killers.

Cancer & heart disease kills apx 50% of the population, and its reckoned around 50% of those deaths could be avoided by good diet. so thats 1/4 x 60mill = 15 mill per around 70 years, or about 200,000 deaths a year from what we eat.

Funny isnt it, electrickery with 20 deaths a year is called dangerous, you wouldnt let your kids play with it, yet they get free rein in the kitchen.

NT

[manatbandq]

Often because they lived to an age which they wouldn't dream of achieving a few decades ago.

So they live a bit longer but still die of Cancer or heart disease or something...

MBQ