Asbestos Roofing Panels - Safe?

[Starrysky]

I'm about to move to a new house and noticed that the roofing material over the sala is asbestos, just like the roof of the car port at my current home. I've asked many people in the past if this is a 'safe' kind of asbestos (is there one?) and never got a knowledgeable answer. Does anyone know anything about this material used in Thailand?

[sleepyjohn]

You cannot get asbestosis unless you breathe in the fine dust fibres. If I were you I'd just wear a mask if ever you dust the underside. You could mix up some sort of stabiliser, perhaps thin latex glue solution and give it a spray.

[PETERTHEEATER]

I'm about to move to a new house and noticed that the roofing material over the sala is asbestos, just like the roof of the car port at my current home. I've asked many people in the past if this is a 'safe' kind of asbestos (is there one?) and never got a knowledgeable answer. Does anyone know anything about this material used in Thailand?

You can Google for a detailed explanation on the good and bad types of asbestos (chrysotile).

In my experience roofing panels containing asbestos is safe as long as it is contained in the matrix. If it is a 'bad' type of asbestos, risk comes when the material is worked by drilling holes or cutting or filing. this produces fibres which, if inhaled, can cause health problems.

I fear that millions of $$ have been spent worldwide in a frenzy of health and safety actions to dispose of buildings containing asbestos when simple enforced management would have done as well. But, at the end of the day it is all about liability.

Try and find out first the trade name of the panelling/tiles and get a specification sheet to see what type of asbestos it contains.

[Bill97]

Painting or sealing the top and underside is recommended to minimize the dust that comes off them as the panels deteriorate with age. Good luck getting a response from the manufacturer, I tried Siam Cement several times but got no reply so let us know if you learn something.

[iainiain101]

I remember talking to a builder who explained asbestos would not be banned in Thailand in buildings until either 2010 or 2012, cant remember which.

[tom21]

do not cut or nail without taking precautions

ie wear mask

enclose the space the asbestos is

keep area wet to stop the asbestos dust

wear protective clothing

and the list goes on .

do a google and find out . asbestos in thailand is no different than the rest of the world and should be treated no differrent

as long as you do not touch it or it is damaged there will be no problem

[BedlamBound]

The square tiles used in ceilings here with the metal strip supports all around them, anyone know what material these are made of ?

They seem to create a lot of dust from inside the roof, so wondering if they could be asbestos related or not.

[Starrysky]

I'm about to move to a new house and noticed that the roofing material over the sala is asbestos, just like the roof of the car port at my current home. I've asked many people in the past if this is a 'safe' kind of asbestos (is there one?) and never got a knowledgeable answer. Does anyone know anything about this material used in Thailand?

Thanks for responses. Actually I didn't mean I'm moving to a brand new house, just another one, so asbestos roofing is already about 10 yrs old.

[Bill97]

The square tiles used in ceilings here with the metal strip supports all around them, anyone know what material these are made of ?

They seem to create a lot of dust from inside the roof, so wondering if they could be asbestos related or not.

There are different types. Lightweight about 1 centimeter thick are mostly paper products but the approximately 4 millimeter thick heavy stuff is an asbestos/cement product. Both used in ceilings but most commonly it is the paper product used with metal strips. Push one up and you can see which it is.

[sceadugenga]

I used to work with asbestos. All sheeting is safe unless you start cutting it or grinding it and inhaling the dust.

The bad news stuff is what they call blue asbestos which was mainly used as insulation.

Millions of people world wide would have grown up drinking rain water collected off an asbestos sheeting roof with no ill effects.

[jingjoke]

Asbestos in any shape or form is deadly. That includes sheeting. I noticed with alarm these roofing sheets on Thai houses, when I had first come to Thailand years ago. What was particularly disturbing was the fact that many Thais collect rainfall from these roofs in large urns for drinking. Water running off these asbestos roofs, along with the sun, abrade over time the panels, carrying minuscule pits of asbestos and depositing them in the drinking water. Not healthy.

[Blinky Bill]

Asbestos in any shape or form is deadly. That includes sheeting. I noticed with alarm these roofing sheets on Thai houses, when I had first come to Thailand years ago. What was particularly disturbing was the fact that many Thais collect rainfall from these roofs in large urns for drinking. Water running off these asbestos roofs, along with the sun, abrade over time the panels, carrying minuscule pits of asbestos and depositing them in the drinking water. Not healthy.

No it's not.

[Ernesto]

Asbestos in any shape or form is deadly. That includes sheeting. I noticed with alarm these roofing sheets on Thai houses, when I had first come to Thailand years ago. What was particularly disturbing was the fact that many Thais collect rainfall from these roofs in large urns for drinking. Water running off these asbestos roofs, along with the sun, abrade over time the panels, carrying minuscule pits of asbestos and depositing them in the drinking water. Not healthy.

No it's not.

Yes its is.

I have worked with asbestos victims and several chest physicians for a number of years. It is true that blue (crocidolite) is probably more dangerous than white (chrysotile) because it is needle shaped rather than serpentine it passes into the lining of the lung more easily and the body finds it more difficult to shift. Its toxicity is higher than white as a result.

It has been expounded that white asbestos is not harmful, yet many people die with only known exposure to it. There is a theory that all white asbestos is contaminated with blue asbsestos to varying extents, or another "faster acting" asbestos fibre called Tremolite (which is fairly rare). Asbestosis is a dose based condition and you would need a heavy exposure to end up with that. However, Mesothelioma is not dosed based and it is thought that 1 microscopic fibre can cause it. It is an incurable cancer of the lining of the lung, stomach or testes. It is a dreadful dreadful disease. It basically eats your lung and any other organs in its way. There is NO safe lebel of exposure to asbestos.

[Blinky Bill]

Asbestos in any shape or form is deadly. That includes sheeting. I noticed with alarm these roofing sheets on Thai houses, when I had first come to Thailand years ago. What was particularly disturbing was the fact that many Thais collect rainfall from these roofs in large urns for drinking. Water running off these asbestos roofs, along with the sun, abrade over time the panels, carrying minuscule pits of asbestos and depositing them in the drinking water. Not healthy.

No it's not.

Yes its is.

I have worked with asbestos victims and several chest physicians for a number of years. It is true that blue (crocidolite) is probably more dangerous than white (chrysotile) because it is needle shaped rather than serpentine it passes into the lining of the lung more easily and the body finds it more difficult to shift. Its toxicity is higher than white as a result.

It has been expounded that white asbestos is not harmful, yet many people die with only known exposure to it. There is a theory that all white asbestos is contaminated with blue asbsestos to varying extents, or another "faster acting" asbestos fibre called Tremolite (which is fairly rare). Asbestosis is a dose based condition and you would need a heavy exposure to end up with that. However, Mesothelioma is not dosed based and it is thought that 1 microscopic fibre can cause it. It is an incurable cancer of the lining of the lung, stomach or testes. It is a dreadful dreadful disease. It basically eats your lung and any other organs in its way. There is NO safe lebel of exposure to asbestos.

To say that asbestos is deadly in any shape or form is absolute rubbish. It is dangerous when it is not treated correctly but there are many ways to render it safe.

[Bagwan]

What concerned me for my distant family members health was not so much that they drank rain water that had fallen onto the asbestos roof but the fact that birds had crapped on the same roof for years. I must admit that they seem none the worse for it though. Now that they have a mains water supply, 1000 litre tank and a pump, they know that WW3 will break out if they drink from anything else other than from one of the taps.

When I was a young non-shaver learning to be a very able seaman, the emphasis being on able, part of my education was learning to sew canvas and asbestos material. The work piece for the tests was making an asbestos covering for a wheel valve on a fuel line. After cutting to shape and fitting (by sewing), it was then to be painted with three coats of 'crab fat'. For most of my Naval career I slept in a hammock, with my face about a foot away from overhead pipes, most cocooned in painted asbestos material. No matter how spotless the messdecks were kept, after firing off the gunnery main armament everything was covered in a layer of dust between decks. How much of this was asbestos material I couldn't say.

[Steve2UK]

I had to smile when I saw the topic title - and here's why. Just this morning, wanting to clear some years-old leaf debris that was clogging part of the corrugated asbestos roof of the kitchen extension [causing water to back up and drip into the kitchen during a heavy downpour], I manfully edged my bum onto the side of the roof to get closer to it. Result - collapse of stout party......... as in 80+ kilo's of farang-who-should-know-better went bum-first through the asbestos and narrowly escaped dropping another few metres to ground-level.

So - yes, any asbestos can be dangerous if you're dumb enough [e.g. me]. Fortunately, just a few interesting cuts and bruises and almost certainly no asbestosis. Oh - and wounded pride.

The man who know what he's doing (and weighs half what I do) came round this afternoon to size up the repair. How he laughed.............

[Ernesto]

Asbestos in any shape or form is deadly. That includes sheeting. I noticed with alarm these roofing sheets on Thai houses, when I had first come to Thailand years ago. What was particularly disturbing was the fact that many Thais collect rainfall from these roofs in large urns for drinking. Water running off these asbestos roofs, along with the sun, abrade over time the panels, carrying minuscule pits of asbestos and depositing them in the drinking water. Not healthy.

No it's not.

Yes its is.

I have worked with asbestos victims and several chest physicians for a number of years. It is true that blue (crocidolite) is probably more dangerous than white (chrysotile) because it is needle shaped rather than serpentine it passes into the lining of the lung more easily and the body finds it more difficult to shift. Its toxicity is higher than white as a result.

It has been expounded that white asbestos is not harmful, yet many people die with only known exposure to it. There is a theory that all white asbestos is contaminated with blue asbsestos to varying extents, or another "faster acting" asbestos fibre called Tremolite (which is fairly rare). Asbestosis is a dose based condition and you would need a heavy exposure to end up with that. However, Mesothelioma is not dosed based and it is thought that 1 microscopic fibre can cause it. It is an incurable cancer of the lining of the lung, stomach or testes. It is a dreadful dreadful disease. It basically eats your lung and any other organs in its way. There is NO safe lebel of exposure to asbestos.

To say that asbestos is deadly in any shape or form is absolute rubbish. It is dangerous when it is not treated correctly but there are many ways to render it safe.

I dont think I made myself totally clear. There is no safe level of exposure to asbestos DUST. It is of course possible to minimise the risk of exposure to the dust, which I accept. If you dont breathe it in, then it wont kill you. However, dealing with the stuff and particularly removing it in this instance should only be done by experts who can make sure it is rendered safe. You can render a crocodile safe by shooting it!!

[Blinky Bill]

I dont think I made myself totally clear. There is no safe level of exposure to asbestos DUST. It is of course possible to minimise the risk of exposure to the dust, which I accept. If you dont breathe it in, then it wont kill you. However, dealing with the stuff and particularly removing it in this instance should only be done by experts who can make sure it is rendered safe. You can render a crocodile safe by shooting it!!

Shooting a crocodile might make it really angry. Killing it will make it safer.

[roygsd]

Asbestos in any shape or form is deadly. That includes sheeting. I noticed with alarm these roofing sheets on Thai houses, when I had first come to Thailand years ago. What was particularly disturbing was the fact that many Thais collect rainfall from these roofs in large urns for drinking. Water running off these asbestos roofs, along with the sun, abrade over time the panels, carrying minuscule pits of asbestos and depositing them in the drinking water. Not healthy.

No it's not.

why take the risk? alternative roofing materails are as cheap a s chips in Thailand, someones going to drill it to fix it, someone's going to cut it, somones going to clean it, eventually someones going to have to break/ dismantle it,

if your prepared to take the risk with your own health you still need to think of those who may breath in this material at a later date.

Avoid it like the plague as we do in the uk.

Are you really prepared to accept the word of a thai manufacturer that they have not used any banned/ frowned upon materials a part of the process?

Not worth the risk

Roy gsd

is

[bangkokumpalumpa]

the asbestos fight gets to me BIG TIME, so here is a posting that I have put up on another thread but it is valid here to!

I am proberly going to get a ripping for posting this, but somebody has to stand up for asbestos!!

KEEP ASBESTOS BAN ALCOHOL

riding a bicycle can give you testical cancer

smoking gives you cancer

drinking can give you cirrhosis

silica dust can give you sillicosis

breathing bangkok air must be a killer!!

driving a car can kill you

crossing the street can kill you

there is more danger in dealing with petrol than asbestos

electricity can kill you

water can kill you

sun can kill you

sun can give you cancer

eating to much food can kill you

More people die from war every year than asbestos do we ban war???? no we go and make it!!!!

in scotland there is a death every 6 hours as a result of alcohol, that is just wee little scotland should we ban alcohol? how many people come into contact with asbestos and die, as opposed to alcohol. I dont drink as a rule but I know that I can still die because of a drunk driver, I have more fear of drunk drivers than asbestos!!!!

leaves the question of what cant kill you ????

I know that asbestos can be a killer but only if dealt with wrong, hey so can a chainsaw and a push bike!!!

the list goes on, and as for break pads so now we use kevlar products well what a supprise that is now a topic for cancer.

what is safe???????

Germany has banned all mineral oils as they cause cancer but not vasiline... petrolium jelly, then we take vasiline and use it on our babies!! Diesel has been linked to cancer.

I sit under a asbestos roof every day and I dont stress, as there is more danger from walking down the road than from the roof!!!

now dont get me wrong I know there can be death as a side effect I am not saying it is a safe product, but most weed killers are not safe but you dont have a problem with your mother using them!!

I look at the amount of asbestos used in this world and wonder how bad it really is, how long has it been used???

it is even safe enough to eat!!! if you handle it properly then you wont have a problem, you proberly have more chance of dieing in your sleep than dieing of asbestos but we dont ban sleep!!!

personaly I think it is a great product, and I bet it has saved many more lives that it has cost. there are not many products like it and there is not much that can replace it.

one has to ask how much of the media hype has killed this product? how bad is it really?

how many people have died because of asbestos and how many people have died whilst having intercourse?? are we going to ban that to?????

now in saying that I will proberly die as a result of asbestos exposure, ok

people tell me that smoking will kill me, so I ask the simple question, so if I dont smoke does that mean I wont die???

the interesting thing is that with the advance of medical science we no longer attribute death to natural causes we give it a reason, and because of all those reasons we look at things different, we look at everything as a killer.

well the cold hard facts of life are that even the purest of people WILL DIE!! its just a case of what we die of!

you can try and life a clean life and stay away from asbestos and all the other things in life that may kill you but to do that you have to live in a bubble, not leave the house and pray that the house doesnt burn down or a drunk driver come through your wall!

people be nice asbestos isnt bad, its how people use it that is bad !!!

ASBESTOS DOES NOT KILL PEOPLE DO

well this posting should get a few people worked up and know doubt I will be told how bad I am and how missinformed I am. but I I am a realist!!!! go and have a moan about nucular fuel, we put that in a container that is safe to drop it from 50 ft, then we load it in a plane and fly it at 30,000 feet !!!!

welcome to the real world people products have been killing people for years, some of the biggest killers are the everyday things, Beer, Cars, Smokes but the biggest killer of all is living !!!!

[fred2007]

So and how do you know it is asbestos are you an expert?