Asbestos Roofing

If you are worried about asbestos roofing, then though you are right to believe that it is an incredibly and potentially fatal, panicking is the worse than you could do in this situation. Provided your roof isn't actually crumbling and the asbestos has remained undisturbed for many years, chances are that you are currently perfectly safe. Most people who discover asbestos roofing in their homes have a lot of questions, I will now attempt to answer the most common ones.

Why is asbestos roofing so common?

Asbestos is originally found in various rock formations and is then mined and processed. When it is processed it is separated into incredibly thin layers. These layers can then be mixed with other materials and they can then be put back together in various shapes that are useful for various applications. Besides being deadly, the material is also flame retardant, incredibly durable and heat, electricity and noise find it very difficult to pass through it. As such before the dangers about it became known, it was incredibly popular among the manufacturing industry.

Why is asbestos roofing so dangerous?

The problem is that if disturbed tiny particles can break off and become airborne and if inhaled, they can be fatal. They have been known to cause both lung cancer and mesothelioma and are currently expected to be the cause of about 3000 people in the UK alone. The reason that nobody figured this out for so long is because it can take years even decades before the illnesses that are a result of the exposure actually develop. Many of the three thousand people in the UK each year who are thought to have died from exposure are likely to have been infected as far back as the sixties and seventies.

How does asbestos roofing lead to asbestos exposure?

The primary thing to be aware of however is that this exposure can only happen if the asbestos roofing is actually disturbed. If it appears perfectly intact you are more than likely safe for the time being but you will not be if you try to deal with it without getting professional help. Due to the hazardous material being present in so many buildings across the UK there are many companies just an Internet search away that are experts on both asbestos roofing and how to deal with it.

Does asbestos roofing always need to be removed?

You may also be surprised to know that it is not actually always necessary to remove asbestos roofing. Removal of asbestos is often considered the last resort due to the inherent danger involved. Experts have many ways of ensuring that the particles can be kept from entering your homes air through various techniques. This however is not to say that you can just decide yourself to leave it as is. It is necessary to get experts out to your home in order to determine the best course of action. They also have tools that can ensure that no particles have already entered your homes air and you may find that just having the peace of mind that comes from hearing this information is worth the call out charge alone.