Asbestos Testing For Roofing

Roofing Asbestos Testing

It is best to be ahead of the situation and sample the below building materials before an construction, renovation or demolition is done. In the state of Colorado, you are required to test for asbestos whenever more than 32 square feet of building materials is removed (per Regulation 8, Part B). If you’re planning a renovation or demolition project, you’ll need to test for asbestos before you get started.

We Can Test for Asbestos in Roofing Same Day. We Will Help You Keep Your Project Going!

Standard 24 Hour Turn Around Time
Expedited Same Day Results Available
Complete Report with Results By Certified Inspector

Asbestos in Roofing Materials?

Roofing Materials can contain asbestos. Many manufactures did use asbestos due to its ability to stiffen, increase durability, longevity, fireproofing etc. for Roofing materials. The following roofing materials are suspect for asbestos fibers and should be tested.

Table of Contents

Corrugated Asbestos Roofing
Roof Flashing
Vents
Cement Roof Shingles
Roof Sealants
Caulking
Mastic
Felt Paper
Underlayment
Asphalt Roofing Shingles
Roofing Tars and Liquids

Why Use Asbestos in Roofing Materials?

Asbestos is:

Lightweight
Chemically Non-Reactive
Resistant to Heat
Inexpensive
Tensile Strength greater than Steel

Due to the exposure and protection that roofing provides for the structure it gets punished by sunlight, frost and moisture. Asbestos was used to prolong the life of roofing products. Due to its high resistance to degradation, Asbestos fibers hold and bind other materials together. Asbestos has a higher tensile strength than steel making it ideal for helping strengthen roofing materials. Asbestos has extremely high fire and heat resistance. This makes it a perfect material to use for additional fire protection on a roof. The weight of Asbestos is very light in comparison to Asphalt, Tar and steel. Using Asbestos in roofing materials reduces the weight load on a roof making the construction much easier. Asbestos is an inexpensive material that was added in bulk to various materials by building product manufactures.

Manufactures and Materials that used Asbestos

Johns Manville - Transite Corrugated Roofing, Roofing Products and Siding
AmChem, Inc - Black Cat Roof Coating
G.W. Berkheimer Company, Inc - Roofing Cement, Roof Coating
Barrett Roofing Company - Roofing Cement
Fiberboard Corporation - Rolled Roofing, Roofing Felt
Flintkote Comapny - Roofing Shingles, Roof Coatings, Rexalt Roof Coating
GAF/Ruberoid - Roofing Felt, Shingles, Siding
Georgia-Pacific - Roof Coating
National Gypsum Company - Asbestone Roofing

There are many other roofing manufacturers that have used (and still use) asbestos in roofing products. Even if you confirm that the manufacturer of your old roofing is not on this list, your roofing could still contain asbestos, and you will need to obtain proper asbestos testing before any renovation. Fortunately, a simple test can tell you what you’re dealing with.

Roofing Asbestos Testing FAQs

There are many reasons that manufactures put asbestos in roofing materials:

Lightweight - Roofs can carry only so much depending on how big they are. Lightweight asbestos roofing materials allowed for easy design for total roof loads.
Non-Conductive - No need to worry in a lightning storm!
Low Cost - Low cost of asbestos allowed materials to go further while adding strengthening properties.
Strenght Properties - Asbestos has a higher tensile strenght than Iron.
Durability - Asbestos is non reactive and inert for the most part making it the best for longevity.

What Is Your Roofing Project?

If you’re considering replacing old roofing, call EnvioCore today. We will help you find out what you’re dealing with before you risk exposing your family or workers to the dangers of asbestos fibers.