Asbestos Rooves and Fencing

Okay you arrive onsite looking for that next deal, you’ve done the financials they work. So any problems with the house in the building & pest – no. Hmmm that’s a pretty mouldy looking roof but the building & pest said it was okay and the fences look a bit daggy… Are they asbestos – does it matter?

Fences between neighbours can always be contentious things as a developer or flipper you will want to present the finished product looking at its best for the best end price so you may want to change that fence to colourbond or similar.

Figure 1: Deteriorating asbestos cement fence.

 The neighbour doesn’t want to change the fence so will you offer more than half or pay for the whole thing to improve the visuals of the site? If it’s asbestos and more than (5 or 10 square metres-depends which state of Australia you’re in) you have to use an asbestos removalist to get rid of it and that will be more costly. These fences unpainted deteriorate in polluted city areas (the acidic rain eats the cement releasing the asbestos) also damage from kids, dogs, mower and whipper snippers also take their toll.

 Figure 2: Nicely painted and sealed asbestos cement fence but it had whipper snipper damage all along the bottom.

You can seal them but the material tends to absorb the paint so a few coats will be needed and are there any broken bits in the grass or driveway where part of it has been removed? So when you do your cost analysis maybe you need to allow for that fence replacement or least safe ways to tidy it up (you can’t sand it or water blast it).

 Figure 3: Asbestos cement sheet fences are not always corrugated.

Roof cladding is another area of concern for the risk conscious investor, you may have noticed since the cyclones and storms of the last few years that insurance companies now ask if the house has an asbestos cement roof and is it sealed or in good condition. They may even ask for a professional assessment as part of the insurance assessment quote. An asbestos roof will also mean an increase in Insurance premiums so a longer term buy and hold will face additional costs.

Figure 4: Corrugated asbestos cement roof- pretty common still. In the lower image you can see the asbestos fibre bundles on the surface of the sheeting.

 Figure 5: Close-up of one of the worst rooves I’ve seen. Asbestos acts as a natural reinforcing/gatherer of dirt debris as it builds up.

Figure 6: Painting it only lasts a short while especially if non UV rated paint is used.

Figure 7: Yes this roof is cactus. There was enough asbestos loose to bind dirt enough to grow this cactus.

Now a few years ago everybody was out buying rain water tanks to save water – and various bodies and councils said it was okay to connect asbestos cement roofing to rain water tanks. This is a seriously bad idea!

 Asbestos fibre bundles wash off of roofing into gutters forming piles of debris and “dags” of asbestos fibre at the lip of the roof cladding. This then travels along or over gutters down drain pipes to enter the drainage system or as is common onto the gardens….. Just to be clear Asbestos can cause disease in other areas of the body apart from the lungs (e.g. larynx, stomach cavity lining) so stopping any form of ingestion is important!

  Figure 8: Asbestos build up in the gutter and the edge of asbestos cement roofing showing the “dags” of fibre that build up.

Figure 9: Asbestos fibre bundles that have washed over a metal gutter as overflow from the asbestos roof. They washed down the walls as well on this site.

Figure 10: Asbestos fibre bundles in moss from a gutter sample.

Figure 11: Asbestos debris in this case spread out onto the lawn by extending the drain from the roof- not a good idea.

Figure 12: Asbestos debris on the driveway and public footpath from a corrugated asbestos cement roof due to the location of the drain pipe outlet.

 Figure 13: Never ever drink, wash or re-use water from run off from an asbestos roof! Even a sealed or painted one is still gradually giving off asbestos fibre bundles.

Roof spaces are also contaminated from asbestos this includes any insulation or insulation batts in the roof space. This is from water/drainage run off leaking into or through the roof cladding or just dust from aging of the roof cladding leading to flaking and wear and tear.  I have investigated many sites and all of them show asbestos contamination beneath the asbestos rooves.

Figure 14: Asbestos run off inside a roof on the woodwork, this and asbestos dust from ageing of the roof cladding (right) means that roof spaces under asbestos cement rooves are contaminated with asbestos dust.

 If you buy an investment property consider factoring in roof removal replacement if it has an asbestos roof because of the ongoing problems with run-off of water and safe access into the roof.

Another case I had referred to me a women had her investment property asbestos cement roof damaged by a tree branch falling in a storm. The insurance company wouldn’t pay out because the roof was unpainted and they claimed she hadn’t maintained it. Last I heard of that one she was taking the insurance company to court.

That’s the last thing you need as well as a clean up of the damaged asbestos and debris and an irate tenant.

Brian Sketcher