Does Concrete Guttering Contain Asbestos

Asbestos cement pipes for storm water down pipes irrigation sewage and drinking water.

Does concrete guttering contain asbestos. Fibro cement materials that were made and put in place prior to the early 2000s may contain asbestos. Brick or breeze block and mortar. When embedded in an intact surface or structure made from concrete asbestos is essentially harmless. Sadly there are many products that still contain asbestos used every day across the nation.

By then cement mixes across america contained tons of asbestos products. Asbestos cement guttering down pipes roof ridges fascias and cover stripping. Asbestos was widely used in cement based products for seven decades until federal regulators like the environmental protection agency epa and the occupational safety health administration osha took steps to ban asbestos containing materials acms. The epa ban did not cover all products and still allows some products like insulation to contain as much as 1 asbestos.

Asbestos guttering also known as asbestos cement guttering is often present in asbestos cement roofs. The guttering is located at the eaves of the roof pitch in industrial and warehouse properties. The concrete was found to contain between 2 and 10 asbestos by weight and the construction company was required to comply with osha methods for removal. However the situation changes when a repair removal or modification job calls for the cutting of asbestos impregnated concrete.

Although asbestos fibers are sealed within the concrete chipping or breaking asbestos containing concrete could release these fibers into the air. That s because the fibers remain locked in place and cannot travel through the air. Asbestos cement gutters suffer from a number of common faults such as leaks cracks and the build up of debris that can escalate if left unattended over time so routine maintenance is important. The following materials do not contain asbestos.

But for the most part asbestos is generally thought of as a thing of the past banned by the epa and therefore no longer a problem. Most furnishings and fabrics but see equipment above.