Asbestoseal – asbestos roof coating
The UK’s first BBA Approved, dedicated asbestos roof coating system is ideal for the refurbishment of aged asbestos cement roofs.
More than just a coating, Asbestoseal is a full system designed to tackle all of the common issues surrounding asbestos roofs.
Asbestoseal BBA Certificate
Asbestoseal BBA Approved Asbestos Roof Coating
Asbestoseal is the first BBA Approved asbestos roof coating system on the market with a stated and tested service life of at least 25 years.
Formulated exclusively for asbestos cement roofs, Asbestoseal will out-perform any other coating applied to an asbestos cement substrate. Don’t be fooled by other systems that claim to cover a multitude of substrates.
Asbestoseal is available exclusively through the Liquasil Approved Installer Network and is available with a number of flexible insurance guarantee options in addition to Liquasil’s own 20 year product warranty.
Why Use Asbestoseal?
The life expectancy of an asbestos or fibre cement roof is 25 to 40 years (according to RICS) and many are now at, or near the end of their economic life, suffering from a range of issues.
For a coating to be successful, it must tackle all of the problems that are generally associated with this type of roof.
The Asbestoseal system comprises three main components to achieve this;
SWT Corrosion Primer that is applied to all metal fixings such as hook bolts. This prevents rust breaking through the coating (which is a very common problem with other coatings);
Non-Sag Sealer, a specially formulated silicone that is brush applied to all primed fixings to re-seal failed rubber seals and also used for instantly sealing small holes and cracks in roof sheets;
Asbestoseal is the coating that is applied to the entire roof to form a complete protective membrane that will help prevent further deterioration of the asbestos cement roof sheets.
The Asbestoseal system was designed by our own building surveyors to provide a very long-lasting solution to problematic asbestos cement roofs. It can also be applied to asbestos cement cladding.
The Asbestoseal asbestos roof coating is available only for use on commercial and industrial premises. We do not supply it via merchants or to anybody that has not been through our Approved Installer training.
There are two main reasons for this.
Firstly, Asbestoseal is a BBA Approved product, which means that it has undergone extensive, independent fitness for for purpose testing and is currently the only dedicated asbestos roof coating system to have done so.
Larger asbestos roof coating installations can be covered by an optional, full latent defects insurance guarantee and in these cases, the project is inspected and audited by the insurer.
Each of our installers has been independently approved to offer the unique Liquasil guarantee.
Asbestos roof coating projects are complicated by rigorous health and safety considerations and should only ever be carried out by competent roofing contractors.
Asbestos roofs by their nature are very fragile, so the greatest risk actually arises from the potential of falls from height, rather than asbestos contamination.
More importantly, if you are considering an asbestos roof coating project, it is vitally important that the person managing the project is also competent, since there are health and safety obligations that must be met throughout the project.
If you are in any doubt about this, we can optionally offer a dedicated project management service through our own Chartered Building Surveying Practice, or we can refer you to any number of qualified practices that have undertaken our extensive CPD training programme.
Under no circumstances should a non-qualified person manage an asbestos roof coating or replacement project. Always seek professional assistance.
Asbestos cement products were banned from use in the UK in 1999, but many older roofs remain in place today and are at, or have already exceeded their predicted life span. Consequently, many building owners are now experiencing difficulties with their asbestos cement roofs.
What about the rooflights?
Asbestos roofs contain GRP rooflights and they can often be a source of water ingress. In fact, next to gutters, they are the most common source of roof leaks on asbestos roofs.
For this reason, we usually recommend rooflight replacemrent as part of any asbestos roof coating project, simply because it’s probably as cheap to replace a GRP rooflight as it is to coat it.
However, there are occasions when coating imight be preferred, usually due to access or internal configuration issues. If this is the case, please see our dedicated rooflight coating – it’s as good as anything else on the market, but not quite as expensive.
Cleaning Asbestoseal
Asbestoseal is absorbed into the surface of the asbestos cement and is susceptible to environmental soiling. It is a soft coating that can be damaged by impact, abrasion or harsh jet washing.
Coated surfaces can be cleaned using low pressure jet wash, holding the lance at least 12 inches from the surface of the coating. Turbo lances must NOT be used.
Alternatively, smaller roofs can be cleaned using a mild detergent such as Fairy Liquid and water, agitating the surface with a sponge or soft bristle car washing brush and then rinsing with clean water.
It is not a requirement of Liquasil’s product warranty that the surface is cleaned regularly, but it is a requirement that the installation is examined annually for signs of damage, which if present, can be touched up with more product once the surface has been cleaned.
Liquasil can also provide a compatible anti-fungicidal wash to kill any fungal growth that might be present on the surface.