Asbestos Bitumen Roofing Felt

I had a look at the old felt we had removed and it s a black tar type felt with what looks like stands of hessian in a criss cross pattern and some sort of paper on the back.

Asbestos bitumen roofing felt.

These roof mats were widely used in built up roofs in the us epa 1990c. Old exterior roofing felt on flat roofs or sheds is also a possibility. The felt was made up of sheets of asbestos material that was then covered with asphalt. It was a universal solution to roof concerns.

How dangerous is this. Also referred to as asbestos roof mat it is a component that is impregnated in asphalt that was used as an insulating and waterproofing material between roof boards and shingles johns manville no date. Construction workers used asbestos felt as an underlayment for shingles and it was also sometimes the main material used in built up roofs. These systems are sometimes used to construct roofs in the form of roofing felt or roll roofing products.

Asbestos roofing felt being cut. As a rule intact felt is considered pretty safe as the asbestos is firmly embedded in bitumen so the dust issue does not arise unless the edges are badly weathered even then the quantity to be released is pretty small more dangerous if burnt though. Various guides go into detail about other asbestos locations. The primary applications for asbestos felt included.

As long as the asbestos remained sealed beneath the asphalt the roof felt was not dangerous for those who worked lived or played inside the buildings. Shingles weren t the only roof product containing asbestos materials. Roofing tar and asphalt liquids. In fact most other roofing products produced in the early to mid twentieth century contained asbestos.

Work on any type of asbestos can be dangerous. Work on roofing felt would not normally be notifiable provided that the material is in good condition. Roofing felt and underlayment. Asbestos can also be found in spray coatings lagging and insulation boards cement panels floor tiles and bitumen felt mastics sealants putties and adhesives textured coatings and paints yarns etc.

Bituminous waterproofing systems are designed to protect residential and commercial buildings bitumen asphalt or coal tar pitch is a mixed substance made up of organic liquids that are highly sticky viscous and waterproof. Hi did any old bitumen roofing felts used in residential pitched roofs contain asbestos. However tasks on these particular materials can be carried out by non licensed workers who are appropriately trained. Asbestos fibers found their way into these roofing products.