Never use high pressure water to clean your asbestos roof. There are lots of safe alternatives on the market that have been specifically designed for Super Six roofs, including surface primers, fungicides and paints. Better still, why don't you consider having the roof replaced using modern materials, if possible.
The EPA recommends “wet cleaning” or the use of wet-wipes, rags or mops to pick up asbestos fibers. Once the wet-wipes, rags or mops are used, they should be properly disposed of while still wet. The National Cancer Institute recommends washing exposed clothes in a load separate from other clothes.
Wet the area down completely and mop or wipe up the dust. If necessary, use a HEPA vacuum approved for use with asbestos fibers. ... HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) vacuum cleaners. A regular vacuum cleaner must never be used. ... Do not dust, sweep or vacuum debris that may contain asbestos.
Never use high-pressure water or compressed air on asbestos products. Be careful when working on asbestos roofs – they are brittle and you can easily fall through. Follow legal and safety requirements to manage asbestos. Use a licensed asbestos removalist.
However, if it's still in good condition but just needs cleaning, it's much safer to apply a fungicide, lightly wash it down (using a garden hose with no nozzle attached, at low pressure), then paint it to seal the surface. A well-maintained asbestos roof is not a risk to you and your family's health.
How to clean asbestos roofing. After carefully hosing off the worst of the loose organic material and collecting it safely, treat an asbestos roof with Benz Lightning Cleanze biocide diluted 5:1. Follow this by applying Benz Tornado Cleanze as a spot-cleaner on the worst affected areas.
Softwashing can clean an asbestos roof without the conventional high-pressure jets and the risk they carry. It is long-lasting, deep cleaning, and safe. Softwashing UK can treat asbestos roofs for organic growth.
Can I power-wash my cement asbestos siding? If low pressure is used without abrasives and the siding will not be disturbed, then pressure washing is allowable. If the washing abrades the surface, breaks, or otherwise disturbs the siding, then the project becomes subject to the asbestos regulatory requirements.
The strength of the water from a pressure washer can remove the granular finish of your roof tiles. This finish is specially designed to gradually wear off over the years. By removing it with pressure washing you can decrease the life span of your roof tiles as they can become thin and brittle.
Wet the area down completely and mop or wipe up the dust. If necessary, use a HEPA vacuum approved for use with asbestos fibers. Keep all family members out of the work area, or seal the area. Do not carry contaminated clothing or other materials home to your family members.
One of the most worrying issues with asbestos is that in the event that it does get disturbed, it can be easily released into the air, and remain there for some time. It is thought that disturbed asbestos can stay airborne for as long as 48 to 72 hours before settling.
If asbestos-containing materials are in good condition, it's generally best not to touch them. But if the asbestos poses a health threat, it should either be repaired or removed. Only a licensed professional can test for asbestos and determine if removal is safe and necessary.
Do not dust, sweep, or vacuum debris that may contain asbestos. These steps will disturb tiny asbestos fibers and may release them into the air. Remove dust by wet mopping or with a special HEPA vacuum cleaner used by trained asbestos contractors.
Under the Asbestos NESHAP, “adequately wet” means to “sufficiently mix or penetrate with liquid to prevent the release of particulates.” Adequate wetting of the ACM is typically accomplished by repeatedly spraying it with a liquid or a wetting agent, usually amended water, until it can absorb no more.
If you get asbestos fibers on your skin, very few of these fibers, if any, pass through the skin into your body.
A safer and HSE Approved method is to use a closed box pressure washer. This is similar to a patio cleaner attachment, but larger and more complex, often with wheels to allow it to be pulled up and down roof slopes with ease.
Overall, asbestos makes for great material for roofing, but it can pose some health risks. The overall life expectancy of an asbestos cement shingle roof would be 30 – 50 years if the circumstances are just right.
Leave it alone and undisturbed. Keep asbestos-containing products in such a condition that would not pose a significant health hazard. You may use surface finishes like paint, enclosures, and capping. You may also opt for restoration service for fibro asbestos roof.
It's possible to wash asbestos out of clothes, but you should leave this job to the professionals. Trying to decontaminate clothes at home can cause more contamination. Asbestos fibers can end up in the washing machine, on other clothes and even in the air.
APPLICATION: Once fully clean and dry, apply one coat of Smartseal Primer at a ratio of 2-3 sqm per litre. This will improve adhesion and help to consolidate the asbestos fibres of the roof tiles. Once primer has fully dried, apply the coating by brush or airless sprayer, with no rain forecast for at least 4 hours.
Water treatment systems using 1 micron or smaller reverse osmosis filters can eliminate the vast majority of asbestos in water. Advanced water treatment plants can filter out 99.99% of asbestos fibers using granular media.
Make sure you choose a scraper that's designed to be used on an asbestos roof, as trying to remove the moss with a conventional scraper could cause damage to your roof.
Asbestos Roof Cancer Risks
If breathed in, these fibers can lodge in the lungs and other tissues, causing damage that may lead to cancer and other serious health problems 10-50 years later.
If you are not licensed to work with asbestos, and you are worried that you have accidentally disturbed an asbestos containing material – you should stop work immediately and evacuate both yourself and anyone else working in the area. You should evacuate the area as quickly as possible, providing it is safe to do so.