HSE Licensed Asbestos Roof Encapsulation
Is your asbestos roof weathered, mossy or starting to leak, and would you rather seal it than strip it off? Meyer Southern is an HSE licensed asbestos contractor carrying out asbestos roof encapsulation on homes, farms and commercial buildings, from the first survey to the finished coating.
Send us a photo and we’ll tell you whether your roof can be sealed before anyone climbs a ladder.
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What To Do If Your
Asbestos Roof Is Starting To Show Its Age
Ageing asbestos cement roofs rarely fail all at once. Moss and lichen creep across the sheets, the edges go soft and crumbly, a crack lets water in over the winter, or a survey for a sale or an insurer flags the roof as something to deal with.
Two rules before anything else. Don’t pressure wash it, because high-pressure water blasts asbestos fibres off the surface and sprays contaminated slurry across your property. And don’t stand on it, because asbestos cement sheets are fragile and won’t take a person’s weight.
Then get the roof’s condition checked. If the sheets are sound, encapsulation locks the fibres in, stops water ingress and buys the roof many more years of usable life, without a full strip out.
How To Tell If Your Roof Is Asbestos And Can Be Sealed
Asbestos cement was a popular building material and one of the most common roofing materials in the UK for decades, and it was not fully banned until 1999. Corrugated grey sheets on garages, sheds, barns and industrial units built or re-roofed before 2000 are very likely to be asbestos cement, usually containing chrysotile, or white asbestos.
Whether a roof can be encapsulated comes down to the material’s condition. Suitable asbestos cement sheets are firmly fixed, with nothing loose or slipping. They can be weathered on the surface, but they shouldn’t be crumbling or soft, and they need to be free of large cracks, holes or broken corners. The supporting structure underneath has to be sound too.
Encapsulation isn’t the right answer for severely damaged sheets, a roof that’s sagging, or one you plan to take down soon. A coating over a failing roof can also mask decay underneath, which is why every roof is judged on its own merits.
The only way to confirm the material is a sample tested at a UKAS-accredited laboratory, and the only way to confirm the roof’s condition is a proper look at the sheets, fixings and previous repairs.
Our HSE Licence and The Accreditations Behind It
Meyer Southern holds an HSE asbestos licence, number 262606126. Asbestos encapsulation of sound asbestos cement is generally non-licensed work, but if a roof turns out to be asbestos insulating board, or too far gone to coat, the job becomes licensed removal. As an HSE licensed contractor, we carry on rather than handing you to another firm. Every job follows UK regulations, including the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, and current HSE guidance.
Which Asbestos Roofs
We Encapsulate
We carry out asbestos roof encapsulation on asbestos cement roofs for homeowners and businesses. On the domestic side, that’s mostly garage roofs, sheds and outbuildings. We also seal agricultural buildings such as barns, stores and livestock sheds, industrial roofs on factories, units and warehouses, and commercial and public buildings, schools and plant rooms.
Commercial and industrial buildings often have larger roof areas, with rooflights, mixed roofing materials, ridge details and gutters that need planning around, so we assess access and the work area at the survey stage.
Send Us A Photo Of Your Roof And We Will Tell You If It Can Be Sealed
Not sure whether your roof is a candidate? Take a few photos from the ground showing the whole roof, any cracks or repairs, and a close-up of the sheet edges. WhatsApp them to 0778 666 8538 or upload them through our enquiry form, and one of our team will tell you whether it looks suitable for encapsulation, needs a closer look, or would be better removed.
How Much Does Asbestos Roof Encapsulation Cost
Every roof is priced individually, and we give you a fixed quote once we’ve seen it. The roof area and pitch make the biggest difference, followed by access and height, including whether scaffold or a MEWP is needed.
The roof’s condition matters too, since any repairs and cleaning have to happen before the coating goes on. The asbestos roof coating system, the number of coats and any extra work around rooflights, ridges or gutters make up the rest.
For most sound roofs, encapsulation is a cost effective alternative to full removal and a full roof replacement. On a small garage with brittle sheets, though, removal can work out better value, and we’ll tell you that honestly.
What Customers Say Once The Job’s Done.
How Our HSE Licensed Team Encapsulates An Asbestos Roof In 4 Steps
Every roof encapsulation follows the same controlled process, whether it’s a single garage or a warehouse roof.
Survey, Sampling And Safe Access
We check the asbestos cement sheets, fixings, ridge details and any previous repairs, take a sample for testing if the material isn’t confirmed, and look at the surface condition and the structure underneath. We also check for any other asbestos containing material nearby, such as insulation board. Asbestos cement is fragile, so we plan safe access from roof ladders, crawling boards, scaffold or a MEWP, and nobody stands directly on the sheets. You get a risk assessment and method statement before work starts.
Cleaning Without Pressure Washing
Controlled preparation matters more than the coating itself, and it’s where most DIY jobs on asbestos cement sheets go wrong. We treat moss and lichen with a biocide applied at low pressure, keep the surface damp, and gently remove growth using controlled methods. Any debris is bagged as asbestos waste. Following HSE guidance for cleaning asbestos cement roof sheets, we avoid high-pressure jetting, which releases fibres and contaminated slurry.
Repairs And Primer
Small cracks, gaps at the laps and loose fixings are sealed, and defective rooflights or individual sheets are flagged before coating. A primer or sealer coat then goes on to bind the roof surface and help the coating system bond.
Protective Coating And Sign-Off
The protective coating goes on in several coats by brush, roller or airless spray to the thickness the encapsulation system needs. The finished encapsulation system forms a continuous, weather-resistant barrier that locks fibres into the sheet and keeps the building watertight. We inspect the completed system and give you photos and records of the work, ready for your asbestos register and management plan on business premises.
Recent Asbestos Projects Across the UK.
A few of the jobs our team has completed recently, from roof work and garage roofs to soffits and guttering.
Asbestos Removal Project – Salisbury, Wiltshire
Refurbishment Asbestos Survey at Dorchester Middle School, Dorset
Refurbishment Asbestos Survey at Barn House, East Sussex
Targeted Refurbishment Asbestos Survey at Spitfire House, Southampton
Asbestos Ceiling Removal and Reinstatement – Portsmouth
Asbestos Removal Project – Hamble-le-Rice, Southampton
Should You Seal, Overclad Or Remove Your Asbestos Roof?
There are three ways to deal with an asbestos roof. The right one depends on the roof’s condition and what you plan to do with the building.
Encapsulation and overcladding both leave the asbestos in place, so the building can stay in use and very little waste is created, but the roof still needs checking for as long as it’s there. Removal takes the asbestos away for good and ends the need for inspections, though it usually means the building is out of use while the work is done.
The state of the sheets narrows it down quickly. Encapsulation only suits sound sheets, overcladding can sometimes cover sheets with minor damage, and badly damaged roofs should come off.
Encapsulation
Asbestos encapsulation is best for sound, stable sheets on a building you plan to keep using. It manages asbestos containing material in place. Encapsulation seals the surface with an asbestos roof coating, and encapsulation prevents deterioration from weather and water ingress. Many roof coating systems are designed to extend a roof’s usable life by 20 years or more. The asbestos stays in place, so it needs to be recorded and checked.
Overcladding
New sheets or other roofing materials are fixed over the existing roof. It gives you a new finish and can add thermal insulation, but the fixings go through the asbestos cement, so it’s still work with asbestos and needs the same care.
Removal And Replacement By Our HSE Licensed Team
If the sheets are badly damaged, the structure is failing or major works are planned, full removal and a complete roof replacement is the better long-term answer. Most asbestos cement removal is non-licensed work, but insulating board or badly damaged material needs licensed removal by an HSE licensed contractor. Read more about asbestos garage roof removal.
Asbestos Roof Encapsulation Across The UK
Our teams carry out asbestos roof encapsulation for homes, farms and businesses across Hampshire, Berkshire, Dorset, Wiltshire, Surrey, Kent, London, West Sussex, East Sussex and Essex, plus Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Domestic jobs are mostly garages and outbuildings. For commercial and industrial buildings, agricultural roofs and public buildings, we plan the work in phases to reduce disruption to business operations and keep building occupants away from the work area.
If you’re looking for asbestos encapsulation near you, call 0239 307 2182 and we’ll confirm coverage and our next available survey date.
Get Your Roof Sealed Before Another Winter Gets Into It
Weathered sheets don’t stay the same. Rain, frost and moss break down the surface year after year, and a roof that’s suitable for encapsulation now may need replacing in a few winters’ time. Sealing it while the sheets are still sound avoids a strip out later.
As an HSE licensed contractor with over 30 years in asbestos work, we’ll survey the roof, tell you honestly whether to seal, overclad or remove it, recommend the right encapsulation system and give you a fixed quote. One technical team handles the whole job, and you get the records to prove it was done properly.
Call 0239 307 2182, email admin@meyerenvironmental.co.uk, message us on WhatsApp or send the enquiry form below.
Contact Information
UK Head Office:
Meyer Southern/Surveys Ltd.
Langstone Gate,
Solent Road,
Havant,
PO9 1TR
Request A Roof Encapsulation Quote
Send us the details and a photo of the roof, and one of our specialists will get back to you the same day.
Questions Our Customers Ask About Asbestos Roof Encapsulation
Is Meyer Southern HSE licensed to work with asbestos?
Yes. Meyer Southern holds an HSE asbestos licence, number 262606126. That covers licensed work such as removing asbestos insulating board, as well as non-licensed jobs like encapsulating sound asbestos cement roofs. If your roof turns out to need licensed removal, we can do that too.
You can check any contractor on the HSE’s published register of licensed asbestos contractors. Ask for the licence number before you book and check it matches the company name.
Does encapsulating an asbestos roof need a licensed contractor?
Not usually. Encapsulating sound asbestos cement roofs is generally treated as non-licensed work, but it’s still work with asbestos under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. Everyone on the roof needs asbestos training, the right controls and a safe way to work at height.
The licence matters when the job changes. If sheets turn out to be insulating board, or are too damaged to coat, the work becomes licensed. Using an HSE licensed contractor from the start means the job doesn’t stall while you find someone else.
Can I seal my asbestos roof myself with a coating kit?
The law doesn’t stop homeowners coating their own asbestos cement roof, and DIY asbestos roof coating kits are easy to buy. The risks are in the preparation and the access. Scraping or pressure washing the surface releases fibres, and asbestos cement sheets are fragile, so falls through garage and shed roofs are a real danger.
A coating also won’t fix brittle or cracked sheets. If you’re unsure whether your roof is sound enough, send us photos first and we’ll give you an honest view.
Can I pressure wash my asbestos roof before sealing it?
No. HSE guidance restricts high-pressure jetting of asbestos cement to specialist contractors with slurry collection, and only in exceptional cases. A pressure washer strips the weathered surface, throws asbestos fibres into the air and spreads contaminated water across your garden or yard.
We clean using controlled methods, with a biocide applied at low pressure and gentle, damp removal of moss and lichen, which prepares the roof surface without the fibre release.
Is it safe to walk on an asbestos roof?
No. Asbestos cement sheets are fragile and can break under a person’s weight, even when they look solid. Falls through fragile roofs are one of the most common causes of serious injury in roof work.
We work from roof ladders, crawling boards, scaffold or a MEWP, depending on the roof. If you need to look at your roof, do it from a ladder at the eaves or from the ground.
Is an encapsulated asbestos roof still dangerous?
A properly encapsulated roof in good condition is low risk, because the coating locks the fibres into the sheet and stops weathering from releasing them. The asbestos is still there, though, so the roof shouldn’t be drilled, cut or broken.
The real health risks come from asbestos fibre release. Breathing in asbestos fibres can cause mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer years later. Around 2,500 people die from mesothelioma in the UK every year, and the HSE estimates around 5,000 asbestos-related deaths a year. Regular checks make sure the coating keeps doing its job and prevent further exposure.
