With a roof replacement, this is the question that can change the whole process. Asbestos removal is bound by strict rules and it is not work you just take care of along the way.
What I share here is the practice as I come across it. The rules are detailed and change, so for your situation what your municipality and the national regulations say always applies.
Where it is found on a roof
Corrugated sheets. The best-known form, mainly on sheds, garages, extensions and stables. Material from before 1994 may contain asbestos. The sheets can often be recognised by their corrugated shape and grey, weathered colour, but only testing gives certainty.
Old underlays beneath tiles. On roofs from the sixties and seventies, an asbestos-containing board or roofing felt was sometimes used as an underlay. That only comes to light when the roof is opened up.
Chimney and ventilation flues. Asbestos cement pipes in a flue or as a penetration through the roof.
Roof boarding and sheeting. Rare, but it does occur with certain sheet materials from that period.
Sealant and adhesive residues. Some old sealants and bitumen adhesives contain asbestos fibres. Inconspicuous and therefore often overlooked.
“By eye you can suspect it, not confirm it. If in doubt, a sample goes to the lab, not a screwdriver into the sheet.”
Fouad, owner of Astrodak Service
How to have it identified
With a material sample tested by a laboratory. It costs little and it is the only way to get certainty. There are companies that come and take a sample, and for a bigger job an asbestos inventory is drawn up.
Breaking off a piece yourself to look is exactly what you should not do, because breaking is precisely what releases fibres. With an intact, bonded sheet the risk is low as long as nothing is done to it.
The main rules
Private individuals: a maximum of 35 square metres per year. Under certain conditions, a private individual may remove up to 35 square metres of bonded asbestos per year from their own home or outbuildings, with a maximum per cadastral plot.
The sheets must be intact and screwed. Not broken, weathered or overgrown, and fixed with screws rather than glued, nailed or stapled. Weathered or broken sheets may not be removed yourself.
Demolition notification to the municipality. Notify in advance, usually at least a week beforehand, with a start notification shortly before work begins and a completion notification once it is finished.
Packing and disposal. Double-wrap in strong plastic sheeting, seal well with tape, attach an asbestos label and take it to your municipality's recycling centre.
Above the limit: a certified company. A larger area, non-bonded material or damaged sheets: then removal is work for a certified asbestos removal company.
Not sure about the right approach?
I would rather come and look at your roof with my colleagues first than come up with a solution from a distance. During the free inspection you hear what is really needed, even if that is less than you thought.
What that means for your roofing job
That there is a step before the roof replacement. First an inventory, then removal by the right party, and then the new roof. That takes planning and time, and it is the reason we ask about the year of construction and the build-up in advance for a roof from that period.
If material that may contain asbestos unexpectedly comes to light during the work, work stops at that spot. That is not an overreaction but the only right course of action. See
avoiding extra work.
And the grant for asbestos roofs
The national grant scheme for removing asbestos roofs ended a few years ago. There are provincial and municipal schemes that come and go, sometimes in the form of a loan or a contribution towards replacement combined with sustainability measures.
What you can do with an asbestos roof that stays in place
There is no general ban on having an asbestos roof, so you are not obliged to have it removed. But an intact, bonded roof is something you should leave alone: no sanding, no drilling, no high-pressure cleaning and no walking over it with a shovel.
What you should do is keep an eye on it. As soon as sheets start to weather, break or become overgrown, the risk changes and removing it yourself is no longer an option. Then a certified company is the only route. See
permits for roof work.
Frequently asked questions about asbestos on the roof
