Asbestos has been used in the roofing industry for many years. Following health concerns and other issues handling asbestos, the number of contractors using this material has been greatly reduced.
Several of the different types of asbestos shingles are available in today’s roofing industry. Finding the material depends on the availability of salvaged material and the skilled workers to perform roof repair and other necessary work.
The Need for Repairs
Asbestos is a fragile, brittle material. Due to the risk of cracking, you cannot walk on tile made from asbestos. Even though the hairline cracks may be difficult to see, they can lead to leaks in the asbestos roof.
A slate cutter was initially designed specifically to cut asbestos tiles. The tool can also be used to punch holes in asbestos tiles, which is quite difficult otherwise because of the risk of cracking the tiles. A small masonry drill bit can also be used to make holes in the asbestos tiles.
For roof repair, workers use hook ladders to access the roof to make the necessary repairs. Slate hooks are often used to fasten the replacement tiles. With diamond-shaped tiles, two hooks will be required. They will be installed with one at 4 o’clock and the other in the 8 o’clock position.
When slate hooks are used, it is not necessary to drill any tiles or do any caulking. Copper roofing nails may be used to affix the asbestos tiles in place once the roof has been taken apart, such as to replace flashings. However, the top row of tiles will most likely require the use of slate hooks for proper installation.
Inside an Asbestos Roof
The primary concern with an asbestos roof is what lies beneath on the building inside. If the roof is not sealed, the asbestos cement profile can be seen. It is best to have this painted in order to compress the material. A special type of paint will be used for this.
In some cases, an asbestos roof is lined with fiberboard or plasterboard panels. In most instances, the paper lining on these boards are 100% Chrysotile paper. However, if disturbed, these liners can be a health risk.
On a dry, stable roof, there may not be a problem. However, with a leaky roof, the boards tend to break and sag, which causes the material to fall down into the building below and release asbestos into the air. Therefore, it is best to seek properly experienced contractors for asbestos roof repair in Marietta.
