Concrete asbestos water tank

Asbestos removal is usually done by specialists. However local councils can sometimes help with this. They may be able to provide a free inspection and tests.

Disposing of the asbestos is as important as removing it, so be advised about what you do.

 

Do you really need to remove it? as it stands, if it's not disturbed, it's fairly harmless. If you start cutting or breaking it, you've got problems and you need to pay a specialist lots of money to remove it. With the new toxic waste laws coming in, I'd be surprised if any council would have much to do with it.

 

Hi rupertb.

I've been looking into this recently as I've just removed a 20 year old floor-standing boiler and found what looks like an asbestos-cement sheet underneath it.

Having looked at a couple of internet sites, it would seem that asbestos-cement is dodgy if cut, drilled, etc., but is generally ok if left alone. I'm sure you'd prefer to have it removed, tho'!

My piece was small - about 2' square - and I have a localish rubbish depot that will accept it, and with no cost. However, the problem you have is the actual removal, not just disposal.

Perhaps phone up your local council and ask if they have peeps that'll confirm what it is made from - or suggest someone who can? If it is asbestos-cement, please <u>don't</u> start doing it yourself.

It might also be worth phoning up a few specialists in the yellow pages - you've got nothing to lose by doing this; if the cost is prohibitive, then just leave it alone.

 

The big hairy bloke has got it pretty much right in my opinion. If it aint dropping to bits then just leave well alone.

It's the tiny fibres, released when you start chopping asbestos based material up, that cause the health problems if breathed in. If the stuff is stable it can't do you any damage.

 

Don't know if it's exactly the same stuff but I recently renewed my roof. The old tiles were made from a concrete & asbestos mix. I spoke with a local asbestos removal (expert) company who advised me that the stuff could be safely removed (i.e tiles could be broken) as long as I was wearing a fairly good face mask, which is all they would have done. Apparently the concrete in the product holds the asbestos together fairly well & the asbestos content is relatively small. As to disposal I found out that the Local Authority have to have available a skip/disposal point available for asbestos being disposed of by an individual owner at no cost (my local tip had such a skip), its only when you employ a contractor that it costs money as they have to pay to dispose of it. I was therefore able to strip my roof and dispose of it at the local tip at no cost & within the law!

 

Be aware that on July 16 this year, asbestos regs changed - you now have to be a licenced asbestos carrier to transport asbestos, and as a result of this, all or most local authorities no longer have asbestos skips at civic amenity sites.