Why so many Carlisle roofs are asbestos candidates
Carlisle sits at the centre of a working landscape of industrial estates, logistics yards and the agricultural buildings of rural Cumbria, and a great many of those structures were roofed in asbestos cement during its decades as the standard material. Wind-driven rain and hard winters in the north weather these roofs steadily, which is when owners start asking how to keep them watertight without the expense of a full removal. For sheeting that has aged but not failed, encapsulation is usually the sensible answer.
Encapsulation in plain terms
Encapsulation seals the asbestos cement in place instead of taking it off. The roof is cleaned and stabilised, minor defects are repaired, and a high-build coating system is applied over the entire surface. That coating locks the fibres into the sheet and adds a fresh weatherproof layer that copes with the rain, frost and UV that age cement roofs. The asbestos stays contained, the building keeps running, and you avoid the disruption of an open roof and a yard full of skips.
The legal driver: CAR 2012
The duty to manage asbestos under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 falls on whoever maintains a non-domestic building. That means identifying the asbestos, recording its condition and controlling the risk it poses. Encapsulating a sound asbestos cement roof in Carlisle is a recognised way to discharge that duty, and the survey we carry out gives you a documented record of the roof’s state to support your management plan.
When we recommend removal instead
We assess each roof honestly and we will not coat one that ought to be removed. Asbestos cement that has cracked through, heavily delaminated, turned friable or started shedding fibres is beyond safe encapsulation, and sealing it would only put off the inevitable. The right course in that case is removal by competent operatives working to HSE standards under CAR 2012. Removal of cement sheeting is generally non-licensed work, so a licensed contractor is not always required, though the proper controls, protective equipment and waste disposal always are. Higher-risk materials such as sprayed coatings and insulating board are the ones that do require a licensed contractor. We make sure you know exactly which applies to your roof.
Honest advice, free survey
The condition of the sheeting decides everything, so we never price before we have surveyed. A free assessment in and around Carlisle gives you a clear verdict on encapsulation versus removal, plus a written record you can keep. The survey costs nothing and there is no obligation to proceed.
- Well suited to weathered but sound rural and industrial roofs
- Keeps yards, units and farm buildings in use during the works
- Generally lower cost than removal and reroofing
- Backed by a documented condition survey for CAR 2012
