Asbestos Roof Replacement Brisbane – Procedures and Costs
Roof Removal & Replacements
Many Brisbane homes have asbestos roofing installed several decades ago. However, with asbestos having been identified as a serious health hazard and most asbestos roofs starting to fall apart, there has never been a better time to have us remove and replace your asbestos roofing.
Here, we take a look at what asbestos really is, how asbestos roof is removed, and how it is replaced. You will also find out how much it costs to have an asbestos roof removed and replaced by our licensed team of asbestos specialists.
About Asbestos
Asbestos is a very dangerous material, which is why it was designated as a hazardous substance in Australia way back in 2001. Consequently, handling of asbestos mostly consists of rigorous safety procedures. The law requires that asbestos roofing removal is carried out by licensed experts such as ourselves.
Asbestos poisoning has been known to cause many fatalities, which is why you call us any time you need any work done on your asbestos roof.
About Asbestos Roof Replacement
Asbestos roof replacement means following all the procedures involved in safe removal of an asbestos roof and then installing a new type of roofing. Asbestos is a very sensitive hazardous material, which makes its removal a highly risky job that requires the kind of licensing we possess.
Replacement pf the asbestos roof is relatively easy, and involves appropriate assessment of the roof, conduction of maintenance tasks, and the installation of the new roof and other roof installations removed during the removal of the asbestos roofing. If you would like advice or further information you can visit our home page and request a free quote.
The following information lists the steps and procedures used for removing an replacing an asbestos contaminated roofing system.
1. Identify Asbestos
Asbestos roofing can take the form of corrugated roofing sheets or roofing tiles, the latter being much harder to remove.
- The asbestos used in construction in Australia is what is referred to as white asbestos, also called serpentine asbestos.
- There is also a rarer type of asbestos called brown asbestos (amphibobe asbestos), although it has had no commercial uses due to its occurrence in trace quantities.
2. Asbestos Roof Removal Procedures
Removal of the existing asbestos roofing is not a simple process. It is usually a multistage process that can be best summarized in the following eight steps.
1. The Asbestos Roof Sheets Are Sprayed With PVA Glue
As mentioned earlier, asbestos poses serious health risks. This is why the first step in the asbestos roofing removal is coating the roof with PVA glue to ensure that asbestos fibres do not break free during subsequent removal procedures, since asbestos fibres break off with very little handling.
2. Screws and Fixings Are Removed
The second step is loosening the asbestos roof sheets by unscrewing the screws and removing any fixings used to hold the sheets together.
3. Removal Of Roof Installations
Many roofs have installations such as solar panels, hot water units, and aerials on the roof. These need to be removed carefully to ensure they do not suffer any damage.
4. The Asbestos Roof Sheets Are Lowered To The Ground Carefully
We cannot risk breaking the asbestos roofing sheets since this can result of release of poisonous asbestos fibres into the immediate environment. So, the loosened sheets are lowered slowly and carefully using a mechanical lift or by hand.
5. The Removed Asbestos Roof Sheets Are Wrapped
Asbestos roofing materials are extremely sensitive to rough handling, which is why they are wrapped in approved plastic and sealed to ensure that the surroundings remain safe.
6. The Asbestos Roofing Is Taken Away
Once the asbestos roofing is removed, it has to be taken away to an asbestos waste site. This job is handled by licensed asbestos transporters such as ourselves due to the potential risks involved.
7. The Roof Is Cleaned
Industrial-strength vacuum cleaners are used to clean the roof after all the asbestos roofing has been removed and put away. We also clean the walls and ceiling to ensure that any asbestos fibres lodged there are also eliminated.
8. PVA Solution Is Sprayed Once More
Even though the removal of the asbestos roofing is done delicately and with utmost care, there is a slight chance that some fibres remain attached to the ceiling, walls, and other parts of the house even after the cleaning process.
Most asbestos roof removal solutions will not bother with this step, but we include it to make sure that the house is extremely safe from asbestos contamination.
3. Replacement of Asbestos Roofing
Asbestos roof replacement begins with the successful completion of the asbestos roof removal process using the steps discussed above. Otherwise, when replacing a roof, we follow the following major steps.
1. Taking Roof Measurements
Before the work begins, precise measurements of the roof will first be taken by our experts. The measurements will help determine what quantity of roofing materials will be required to get the roof replacement job completed successfully and how much it will cost you.
2. Checking Of The Roofing Structure
Obviously, for the roof replacement process to be up to professional standards, the underlying timber structure has to be examined to determine whether it has undergone any damage that might necessitate some repairs.
Our team will conduct both the assessment and any necessary repairs in consultation with you so that you fully understand the cost implications of this work.
3. Installation Of Guard Rails
This step is not an absolute necessity, but for some high risk jobs, it might be necessary to ensure the safety of our workers during the roofing process.
4. Installing The New Roof
During this step, we start to put in the new roofing as a replacement to your previous asbestos roofing using your preferred material. The new roofing material could be tiles or colorbond metal roofing.
5. Installing Of Additional Roof Features
Once the new roof is in place, we also make sure that it is waterproof by installing seals around chimneys, and other structures penetrating the roof. Any other additions may also be made as per your requests to make sure the roof is exactly the way you wanted it.
6. Cleaning The New Roof
Once the roofing work is completed, the roof is cleaned thoroughly to get rid of fragments of materials, dust, and other dirt created during the roof replacement process.
7. Reinstalling Components
This step typically involves putting back things such as aerials, solar panels, hot water units and so forth, that were taken down during the removal of the asbestos roofing.
8. Cleaning Up The Mess
All the waste created during the asbestos roof replacement process is then taken away for disposal. This important step makes sure that we do not leave you to deal with the mess we create during our work.
Costs Involved
Roof Replacement Costs
Removing asbestos roofing can cost as low as $20 per square metre. Basically, the larger the space, the lower the average price per square metre. There is also the minimum total amount payable for any removal work, but this depends on the complexity of the job.
Roof Removal Costs
Asbestos roof replacement will cost you about $60 per square metre. The complexity of the task will obviously factor into the price you will pay to have your asbestos roof replaced.
Conclusion
If your home still has asbestos roofing, it is now time to have it removed due to the health risks it poses to you and your family.
Our company has specialized in this line of business and has all the licenses and qualifications necessary to ensure that the job is done safely and as per your requirements.
We take your safety and that of your home environment very seriously, which is why we employ several safety measures during the asbestos removal process.
We also replace asbestos roofs with popular modern-day materials such as tiles or metal roofing, all at very affordable pricing.
Contact us any time for asbestos roofing jobs in the Brisbane area.
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