Asbestos Bitumen Roofing Felt

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.

Asbestos bitumen roofing felt.

Roofing tar and asphalt liquids. But the workers who installed the felt were very likely exposed to the dangerous asbestos fibers. These systems are sometimes used to construct roofs in the form of roofing felt or roll roofing products. Asbestos felt was often laid under linoleum vinyl and asphalt floor tiles for padding and insulation.

Shingles weren t the only roof product containing asbestos materials. Work on roofing felt would not normally be notifiable provided that the material is in good condition. The felt was made up of sheets of asbestos material that was then covered with asphalt. Construction workers used asbestos felt as an underlayment for shingles and it was also sometimes the main material used in built up roofs.

Various guides go into detail about other asbestos locations. 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. It was a universal solution to roof concerns. 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.

In fact most other roofing products produced in the early to mid twentieth century contained asbestos. The primary applications for asbestos felt included. Work on any type of asbestos can be dangerous. However tasks on these particular materials can be carried out by non licensed workers who are appropriately trained.

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. Roofing felt and underlayment. 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. Information about health and safety at work.

How dangerous is this. Old exterior roofing felt on flat roofs or sheds is also a possibility. These roof mats were widely used in built up roofs in the us epa 1990c. 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.