Crommelin South Africa News

Asbestos Sealing in South Africa

On 28 March 2008, South-Africa banned the use of asbestos.

Hundreds of thousands of houses, warehouses, factory buildings and office buildings are constructed with asbestos sheeting and other asbestos based or containing products. Many of these asbestos sheets are damaged and the risk of airborne asbestos fibre is increasing all the time.

Additionally, worn and weathered asbestos can result in a loose friable surface that can expose the harmful asbestos fibres below the cement surface.

Asbestos Regulations

Regulation 15(1)(h) states “An employer or self-employed person who erect, maintain, alter, renovate, repair, dismantle, or add asbestos-cement roof sheeting, wall panelling, gutters, fascia boards and related products to a building shall ensure that once installed and where reasonably practical, the relevant items are painted or otherwise sealed with a protective coating to limit the release of asbestos dust, combat weathering and inhibit growth of lichen or moss"

The Safest Alternative to Asbestos Removal

Asbestos must be “Encapsulated” according to Regulation 15(1)(h)

Painting Asbestos Roof Sheeting?

Painting the asbestos surface with an ordinary roof coating or roof paint is not a solution.

• Roof paint doesn’t strengthen the underlying asbestos sheets.
• Inconsistencies in paint application is a major problem
• The lifespan of roof paint is short.
• Paint can flake and the asbestos sheeting can still crack.
• Paint doesn't seal the fibres in the asbestos roof sheeting
• Paint requires a clean, dry surface, and asbestos roof sheets need to be cleaned to be painted. Abrasive cleaning or cleaning with high pressure water jets will release dangerous amounts of asbestos fibres, polluting the area, causing the very complications you wish to prevent. 

What about Asbestos Roof Removal? 

Replacing a roof is no small matter. It is an expensive exercise, complicated by the dangers associated with working with asbestos. 

Asbestos removal is a big deal. It is now commonly recognised that asbestos inhalation is carcinogenic and deadly poisonous. In order to safely remove asbestos products from a building, it’s important to hire fully certified asbestos removal contractors.

Asbestos Encapsulation is therefore your best option

Asbestos Encapsulation should preferably be done with a product that addresses the underlying problem.

The Crommelin Fibroseal Primer and Topcoat treatment system for asbestos

The Crommelin Fibroseal Primer and Topcoat treatment system is a dedicated solution that has been used in Australia and other parts of the world with proven success for the last 30 years. The sealant penetrates through the weathered surface right down to the exposed asbestos fibres beneath, effectively bonding the elements together. The Fibroseal Topcoat then provides a durable protective layer that prevents the regrowth of lichen and moss, protecting the sealant for many years, extending the life of the asbestos roof sheeting.