UKC

I've been toying with the idea of building a home board for training, and have a 4+ mtr high old stone shed at home, floor space approx 3 x 4.5 mtrs - however the shed roof is corrugated asbestos sheets, no liner inside, just a few beams. 

Is sticking a wall in here a bad idea? I don't have much knowledge in this area.

Thanks

The following info. might help you decide.

Asbestos Cement in Roofing

Due to its fantastic thermal qualities and being extremely fire retardant, it is not surprising that asbestos was extensively used in roofing and insulation in the 20th century. Cement sheets are one of the most commonly used roofing products that the mineral is found in, and there are still a large number of buildings around the UK that have an asbestos cement sheet roof. The problems with the roof sheets occur as they deteriorate with age and consequently become more brittle. This creates a greater risk of the mineral fibres becoming exposed and loose which puts people at greater risk. The removal of Asbestos cement sheets is generally Non-notifiable work, which means that this work can be done without the guidance of the local authority or HSE. This is because the asbestos mineral fibres being used are usually Chrysotile (white) asbestos, which statistically poses a lower risk than amphiboles asbestos. They also only account for approximately 10% of the composition of the sheet, meaning that the sheets are not considered to be such a priority risk to human health.

It is also worth noting that if the asbestos cement sheets have not been weathered then this is considered a greater risk due to the additional damaging effects caused by weathering erosion of the sheets. As they are exposed to the elements they face the risk of degradation from frost, moisture, UV rays, and acid rain etc. leaving larger areas of the asbestos fibres unprotected.

You'll probably want to insulate the roof on the inside somehow, otherwise it'll drip with condensation.

A common industrial solution is to stabilise the sheets with something like PVA or fibreglass resin which i've seen done at commercial a climbing wall.

You'll live, just don't chew it.

Apart from the need of some scaffolding there's no reason why you couldn't remove them yourself. Check with your local council if they'll accept them. Some do for free.

It then means you can put a new and insulated roof on.

if it's whole, and not crumbly; it'll be fine provided you don't disturb it, like drilling into it...

as above, you could try and "seal" it with pva or the like, essentially all you're trying to achieve with that is to prevent tiny particles coming free from the boars and becoming airborne. which, to be honest, doesn't happen much with an undisturbed solid board

I'd put up a ceiling of some sort, with insulation, but just make sure there's plenty of ventilation between the ceiling and the underside of the roof. otherwise it'll get damp.

or snort it

It’s getting harder to dispose of it yourself now. 
 

Our council will collect 50kg a year for free. That’s apparently 2 sheets. Any more than that you need a private contractor. 
 

As long as you don’t disturb it, it should be fine. Sheds are a problem if you start trying to insulate them, they generally stay dry by keeping rain out and keeping good airflow. 
 

If you have a concrete floor just whack some off cut carpet down with some polythene sheet under it, but it might not last very long. 

Are you planning to drill into or otherwise disturb the asbestos? 

Its generally not a problem if you leave it alone.  It's when you make dust from drilling etc that you can cause problems.  

I certainly wouldn't hang anything from it.

Having had my dad die of mesothelioma last year, I am in the very wary end of the spectrum where asbestos is involved! I would say get it made safe by a professional first (either removed or false ceiling installed), just to be safe. Even a little exposure can cause it, and it is a very cruel form of cancer.

Yes, I'm sure I am more cautious than is really necessary, but better safe than sorry in my opinion!

I’m sorry for your loss.  Was he exposed at work?  

He did a student job monitoring temperatures in commercial ovens, which will have had asbestos in them. He thought it was probably there. There's no way of proving it, some people even get meso from talcum powder! 

Most of his working life he was an electronics engineer, so a proper desk job and definitely no asbestos there. 

He also pulled out a central heating cupboard which will have also had asbestos, and he initially thought it might have been that. But I think after some more research that it was a different type of asbestos so he thought it was less likely than the ovens.

We will never know!

I hope you didn't mind me asking, I didn't mean to be tactless.  

No, not at all. I think it's useful for people to realise that it's not just people who have worked in the well known areas who can end up with meso.

I had a similar problem at a previous house with a garage. I found that council recycling centres would take them. I seem to remember that they would accept a couple of sheets at a time. I just did a couple of trips. I broke the sheets up to transport them to the tip. The requirements are that you do this under running water. I used a garden hose. Then double bag them and seal with parcel tape. 
It gave me the opportunity to rebuild the roof with good insulation and vents with the timbers in the right place to support the bouldering wall. 

That’s no longer the advice given. At least not in my area. They will not accept asbestos at the tip. 
 

The best thing to do is go online to your local council website and look up their procedures. 

Yes, it varies. My local recycling centre has a large container for full sized asbestos sheets, and seems pretty relaxed about taking multiple sheets.