InspectAPedia® FREE Encyclopedia of Building & Environmental Construction, Diagnosis, Maintenance & Repair |
Question? Just ask us! InspectAPedia
|
Asbestos Cement / Fiber Cement Roof Maintenance / Replacement
- POST a QUESTION or COMMENT about the inspection, maintenance, & repair of asbestos cement roofing
Cement asbestos & fiber cement roof shingle maintenance, repair or replacement:
Here we provide a photo guide and text that can identify the condition of cement asbestos roofing products like asbestos-cement roof shingles.
We discuss: How to maintain or replace asbestos-cement or fiber cement roof shingles. Cleaning stains, mold algae, lichens from cement-asbestos roofs. Sources of Fiber Cement Replacements for replacing damaged Asbestos Cement Roof Shingles
Our photo (page top) shows that someone tried to secure breaking pieces of cement asbestos roof shingles by using a roofing stapler - not a proper repair.
InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.
- Daniel Friedman, Publisher/Editor/Author - See WHO ARE WE?
Durability & Life Expectancy of Asbestos Cement & Fiber Cement Roofing
[Click to enlarge any image]
Asbestos cement roof shingles were in popular use in the U.S. from the 1920's (est) through the 1960's (est) and were sold in the U.S. into the 1970's and according to some sources even in the 1980's.
The typical life expectancy of an cement asbestos shingle roof was given as 30 years.
But we have seen these roofs that were now 50 years old in good condition.
Typical roof wear or failure patterns are either failure of the shingle fasteners or broken and falling shingles.
Maintenance & Repair Advice for Asbestos Cement & Fiber Cement Roof Shingles
We consider asbestos cement roof shingles a durable and fire-resistant roof and an asset to the building provided that the roof is in good condition.
But because asbestos cement roofing is easily damaged by a heavy-footed worker unfamiliar with the materials involved, asbestos cement roofs have to be repaired and maintained with the same care and expertise as slate roofs.
This means that roof repairs may cost more even though the materials should also last longer than some competing roof systems.
Work by an inexperienced contractor can ruin a cement asbestos shingle roof and lead to complete roof failure.
Our photo at page top shows the use of a roofing stapler to secure sliding cement asbestos shingles - a foolish repair that causes further leaks and damage. See additional warnings about using roof shingle staples "Using Staples to Install Asphalt Roof Shingles?" found at ASPHALT SHINGLE STAPLE vs NAIL.
This photo (above-left) shows thin, worn, fragile cement asbestos roof shingles that are very broken up. If you see this condition over 25% of the roof surface, repair is probably not economical and a complete re-roofing or roof-over is needed.
Small roof repairs to individual shingles can be made using copper or aluminum flashing material -- it will often weather to a color that looks a lot like the remaining cement asbestos shingles, and this approach minimizes the chances of breaking more shingles during the repair.
Follow our slate roof repair advice at SLATE ROOF INSPECTION & REPAIR.
Cleaning stains, mold algae, lichens from cement-asbestos roofs
As we discuss at POWER WASHING ROOFS we do not recommend power-washing asbestos-cement nor any other roofing.
See BLACK STAIN REMOVAL & PREVENTION for advice on diagnosing, cleaning, and preventing stains on roofing.
Sources of Fiber Cement Replacements for Asbestos-Cement Roof Shingles
Perhaps the best-known name among asbestos cement roofing and siding was and remains Supradur discussed below.
Contemporary roofing product manufacturers make reinforced fiber-cement roofing shingles and other roofing products which look like, perform similarly to, and need to be installed similarly to the original asbestos-cement shingles - but these new products are free of asbestos.
The replacements for asbestos cement roofing products are reinforced with a variety of fibers including fiberglass.
Other replacements for asbestos-cement roofing use both different fibers and a different aggregate (perlite) to replace the asbestos. Some of the substitute products have been in use for more than 30 years (2008).
For maintenance or replacement of asbestos-cement roof shingles (or wall siding) or to purchase new fiber cement siding and roofing products contact
- Supradur Manufacturing Corporation, Supradur® mineral fiber shingles. Supradur Manufacturing Corp., PO Box 908, Rye NY 10580 800-223-1948, or from within New York State, call 914-967-8230.
Supradur brands and trademarks include both currently-available non-asbestos products and trademarks associated with asbestos cement products. Some of these, such as Supradur™ have expires. Here is the full lisst:
- Eternit, Inc., rigid fiber reinforced cement roofing slates (and board products. Village Center Drive, Reading, PA 19607 800/233-3155
- Lifetile® Boral Concrete Products, Inc., produces high density extruded concrete roofing tiles meeting Class "A" requirements. Dallas, TX 214/544-2227
- Reinforced-cement shingles which "look like slate but are lighter and one-third the cost" are available from Atlas International Building Products, 5600 Hochelaga St., Montreal, Quebec, Canada H1N 1W1. [$180/square loose or $400./sq. installed, 30-year guarantee.]
- ASBESTOS CEMENT SIDING REPLACEMENT - provides more information about replacements for asbestos-cement products
- SLATE ROOF SOURCES & TOOLS - includes sources for both traditional slate and synthetic slate substitutes
...
Continue reading at ASBESTOS DISPOSAL REGULATIONS or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.
Or see these
Asbestos-Cement Roofing Articles
- ASBESTOS & FIBER CEMENT ROOFING - home
- ASBESTOS CEMENT OSHA REGULATIONS
- ASBESTOS CEMENT ROOF REPAIR
- ASBESTOS CEMENT SHINGLE REMOVAL
- ASBESTOS DISPOSAL REGULATIONS
- ASBESTOS ROOFING, CORRUGATED
- ASBESTOS ROOFING / SIDING DUST
- ASBESTOS ROOFING / SIDING POWER WASHING
- ASBESTOS ROOFING WEAR SIGNS
- ASBESTOS TESTING LAB LIST
- CORRUGATED CEMENT ASBESTOS ROOFING
- FIBER CEMENT PRODUCT MANUFACTURERS
- FIBER CEMENT ROOF SHINGLE ASBESTOS TEST RESULTS
- FIRE RATINGS for ROOF SURFACES
Suggested citation for this web page
ASBESTOS CEMENT ROOF REPAIR at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.
Or see this
INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to ASBESTOS HAZARDS
Or use the SEARCH BOX found below to Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia
Or See
INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to BUILDING ROOFING
Or use the SEARCH BOX found below to Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia
Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia
Questions & answers or comments about the inspection, maintenance, & repair of asbestos cement roofing
.
Try the search box just below, or if you prefer, post a question or comment in the Comments box below and we will respond promptly.
Search the InspectApedia website
Note: appearance of your Comment below may be delayed: if your comment contains an image, photograph, web link, or text that looks to the software as if it might be a web link, your posting will appear after it has been approved by a moderator. Apologies for the delay.
Only one image can be added per comment but you can post as many comments, and therefore images, as you like.
You will not receive a notification when a response to your question has been posted.
Please bookmark this page to make it easy for you to check back for our response.
Our Comment Box is provided by Countable Web Productions countable.ca
Citations & References
In addition to any citations in the article above, a full list is available on request.
- Asbestos products and their history and use in various building materials such as asphalt and vinyl flooring includes discussion which draws on Asbestos, Its Industrial Applications, D.V. Rosato, engineering consultant, Newton, MA, Reinhold Publishing, 1959 Library of Congress Catalog Card No.: 59-12535 (out of print).
- "Handling Asbestos-Containing roofing material - an update", Carl Good, NRCA Associate Executive Director, Professional Roofing, February 1992, p. 38-43
- EPA Guidance for Controlling Asbestos-Containing Materials in buildings, NIAST, National Institute on Abatement Sciences & Technology, [republishing EPA public documents] 1985 ed., Exposure Evaluation Division, Office of Toxic Substances, Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington,D.C. 20460
- EPA, ASBESTOS IN YOUR HOME [PDF] - U.S. EPA, Exposure Evaluation Division, Office of Toxic Substances, Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington,D.C. 20460
- NRCA Roofing and Waterproofing Manual, 4th Ed., available from the National Roofing Contractors' Association.
- "Tips for working with fiber-cement roofing products", Thomas L. Smith, AIA, RRC, Professional Roofing, September 1996
- "About Asbestos Cement Roof Shingles", Ann Johnson, at ehow.com, a nice article about the history of this material - November 2008.
- Asbestos Identification and Testing References
- Asbestos Identification, Walter C.McCrone, McCrone Research Institute, Chicago, IL.1987 ISBN 0-904962-11-3. Dr. McCrone literally "wrote the book" on asbestos identification procedures which formed the basis for current work by asbestos identification laboratories.
- Stanton, .F., et al., National Bureau of Standards Special Publication 506: 143-151
- Pott, F., Staub-Reinhalf Luft 38, 486-490 (1978) cited by McCrone
- In addition to citations & references found in this article, see the research citations given at the end of the related articles found at our suggested
CONTINUE READING or RECOMMENDED ARTICLES.
- Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd., 120 Carlton Street Suite 407, Toronto ON M5A 4K2. Tel: (416) 964-9415 1-800-268-7070 Email: info@carsondunlop.com. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors.
Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, for permission for InspectAPedia to use text excerpts from The HOME REFERENCE BOOK - the Encyclopedia of Homes and to use illustrations from The ILLUSTRATED HOME .
Carson Dunlop Associates provides extensive home inspection education and report writing material. In gratitude we provide links to tsome Carson Dunlop Associates products and services.
 | HOME | ABOUT | ASK a QUESTION | CONTACT | CONTENT USE POLICY | DESCRIPTION | POLICIES | PRIVACY | |
| © 2024 - 1985 Publisher InspectApedia.com - Daniel Friedman | |||||||||