I have just removed the cement/asbestos roof off our concrete garage. I opted out of clambering over the old leaky roof and extracting the fixing nails from above due to the poor shape the roof was in. Instead I went for cutting the nails from below. Initially I intended to use a reciprocating saw but could not get the guard against the beams resulting in excess vibration and teeth on the blade being worn. So went to Plan B using my 3yr old Lidl multi tool and despite having been subject to dogs abuse and inappropriate use over the last 3yrs it did the job without complaint. However, I did expect to go through several blades as there were approx. 50 galvanised 6mm diam. nails to cut. I bought a few DeWalt long life metal cutting blades @ £17.99 ea from Screwfix in the end I only used two and reckoned I probably could have managed with one as neither blade looks like it has suffered in any way. So a thumbs up for the DeWalt blades they may be expensive but they do last.

BTW I was glad I opted for cutting the nails from below even though it meant a number of hours work because when sliding the panels off quite a number split apart due to hairline cracks running longitudenly.

Richard

replying to Tricky Dicky, Iggy wrote:
I concur! When I started out I thought the cheap blades were a bargain. Then,
I found myself out of blades with only quality being left on the shelves. I
bit the bullet and was truly amazed at the difference. I never bought cheap
again and happily "overpay", especially whenever carbide's an option.

--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/uk-diy...d-1245958-.htm

On Sat, 28 Oct 2017 14:22:24 -0700 (PDT), Tricky Dicky
wrote:

I have just removed the cement/asbestos roof off our concrete garage.

snip

Dad had such a roof on a brick built workshop that was built off the
side of a single garage (tiled pitched roof).

The stupid bloke next door put his *lit* BBQ away in his shed that
backed onto Dads workshop, burnt his own shed down but damaged Dads
workshop.

They paid to have the roof replaced but the replacement corrugated
cement fibre was of poor quality, sagging and flexing, something the
original panels hadn't done in probably ~60 years? ;-(

So, do you know if there are (now) different grades of such stuff and
if so, what should I look out for if we offer to replace it for Mum?

Cheers, T i m

Yes as asbestos seems not to bend well, it does tend to crack, and has very
little resistance to the crack running thereafter.
Brian

--
----- -
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please!
"Tricky Dicky" wrote in message
...
I have just removed the cement/asbestos roof off our concrete garage. I
opted out of clambering over the old leaky roof and extracting the fixing
nails from above due to the poor shape the roof was in. Instead I went for
cutting the nails from below. Initially I intended to use a reciprocating
saw but could not get the guard against the beams resulting in excess
vibration and teeth on the blade being worn. So went to Plan B using my 3yr
old Lidl multi tool and despite having been subject to dogs abuse and
inappropriate use over the last 3yrs it did the job without complaint.
However, I did expect to go through several blades as there were approx. 50
galvanised 6mm diam. nails to cut. I bought a few DeWalt long life metal
cutting blades @ £17.99 ea from Screwfix in the end I only used two and
reckoned I probably could have managed with one as neither blade looks like
it has suffered in any way. So a thumbs up for the DeWalt blades they may be
expensive but they do last.

BTW I was glad I opted for cutting the nails from below even though it meant
a number of hours work because when sliding the panels off quite a number
split apart due to hairline cracks running longitudenly.

Richard

In message , T i m
writes
On Sat, 28 Oct 2017 14:22:24 -0700 (PDT), Tricky Dicky
wrote:

I have just removed the cement/asbestos roof off our concrete garage.

snip

Dad had such a roof on a brick built workshop that was built off the
side of a single garage (tiled pitched roof).

The stupid bloke next door put his *lit* BBQ away in his shed that
backed onto Dads workshop, burnt his own shed down but damaged Dads
workshop.

They paid to have the roof replaced but the replacement corrugated
cement fibre was of poor quality, sagging and flexing, something the
original panels hadn't done in probably ~60 years? ;-(

So, do you know if there are (now) different grades of such stuff and
if so, what should I look out for if we offer to replace it for Mum?

Don't know:-)

The *big 6* stuff used since the late 90's has labelling/specification
down the top of the ribs.
It is still vulnerable to embrittlement by heat but appears as rigid as
the original with asbestos fibre.

--
Tim Lamb

The garage was put up when the house was built in 1975 according to the previous owner. The problem was that the base was laid initially as a hard standing area with a slope for drainage. The garage was simply stood on top and as a result of the sloping base the flat roof was err - flat! So vary little drained, I guess years of water sitting there and freezing in winter took its toll. The previous owner had vainly tried to stem the leaks by silicone sealant internally and flashband over external joins but water still got in mainly from what I can see through the hairline cracks.

Starting Monday the old base is coming up and a new 40m2 mancave will eventually grace the site this time with a pitched roof!

Richard