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How Can You Tell If an Old Shed Roof Is Asbestos?
Before taking a crowbar or sledgehammer to an ageing garden shed or garage, the very first thing we check is the roof. Here is a plain-English guide on how to tell the difference between standard roofing felt and corrugated asbestos cement—and who you need to call for each.
The Short Answer: What to Look For First
You cannot confirm asbestos 100% by eye alone without a laboratory sample, but you can usually tell straight away what type of roof your shed has:
- ✓ Standard Bitumen Felt on Timber: Soft, gritty, flexible rolls tacked onto wooden tongue-and-groove boards or OSB sheets. We dismantle and clear these every day.
- ! Wavy, Rigid Grey Cement Sheets: Hard, brittle corrugated panels bolted onto the roof frame, often covered in dry moss and built before the year 2000. Treat this as suspected asbestos cement.
If your shed is made of wood and roofing felt (or corrugated tin/plastic), our fully insured team can dismantle it, load all the timber and internal clutter, and sweep the base clean.
Why Do So Many Old Sheds and Garages Have Asbestos Roofs?
With 15 years of experience clearing gardens and outbuildings across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, we see hundreds of post-war sheds, sectional concrete garages, and old coal stores. From the 1950s right up until the late 1990s, corrugated asbestos cement (usually containing white asbestos, known as chrysotile) was the go-to roofing material for domestic outbuildings.
Builders and homeowners used it because it was cheap, fireproof, didn't rust like corrugated iron, and lasted for decades. Because asbestos wasn't fully banned in the UK until late 1999, any shed or garage roof installed before the year 2000 that uses rigid, wavy grey sheets has a high chance of containing asbestos fibres bound into the cement.
5 Visual Clues to Check From the Ground
Following Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance, you should never sand, drill, scrape, or snap a suspect roof sheet to "test" it. Instead, stand safely on the ground or look up from inside the shed and check these five visual indicators:
1. Hard, Rigid Corrugated Profiles
Asbestos cement roofs are almost always formed into wavy, corrugated sheets (usually around 5 to 6 millimetres thick). Unlike corrugated metal, the edges look chalky or stone-like rather than sharp and metallic, and they will not bend if pressed.
2. Pale Grey, Weathered Surface with Lichen
Cement sheets weather to a dull, chalky grey. Because cement holds moisture slightly, old asbestos roofs are typically dotted with circular patches of white, yellow, or crusty green lichen and thick cushions of moss in the valleys.
3. Dimpled or Honeycomb Texture Underneath
Step inside the shed and look up at the underside of the roof sheets (if it isn't boarded over). Asbestos cement sheets typically have a distinctive fine dimpled, stippled, or fabric-mesh pattern pressed into the underside from how they were manufactured on rollers.
4. Hook Bolts and Dome Washers
Rather than being nailed down with clout nails like roofing felt, cement sheets are held onto timber purlins or metal angles using long metal J-bolts or hook bolts passed through the crown (top curve) of the corrugation, capped with plastic or lead washers.
5. No Date Stamps on Older Sheets
Modern non-asbestos fibre cement sheets (installed after 2000) are legally required to carry an embossed "NT" (New Technology) stamp on the sheet. If there are no stamps and the outbuilding clearly dates back decades, treat it as asbestos.
How to Tell Asbestos Cement Apart From Safe Shed Roofs
Not every wavy or grey shed roof is hazardous. Many homeowners worry they have asbestos when it is actually deteriorated bitumen felt or painted galvanised tin. Use this quick comparison table to narrow it down:
| Roof Material | How It Looks & Feels | Can Anthony Gough Clear It? |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Bitumen Shed Felt | Gritty, mineral-coated roll laid flat over timber roof boards. Tears like thick tarred cardboard when old. | Yes — Full dismantle & clearance |
| Corrugated Bitumen (Onduline) | Wavy black, red, or green sheets, but flexible and fibrous/tarry rather than stony. | Yes — Full dismantle & clearance |
| Corrugated Tin / Steel | Thin sheets with orange surface rust, peeling paint, and a metallic ring if tapped lightly. | Yes — Full dismantle & clearance |
| PVC / Polycarbonate Plastic | Translucent, yellowed, or brittle corrugated plastic sheets that let daylight through. | Yes — Full dismantle & clearance |
| Asbestos Cement Sheets | Heavy, rigid, stone-grey corrugated sheets with dimpled undersides and moss growth. | No — Requires specialist asbestos contractor |
When We Can Dismantle Your Shed (and When You Need an Asbestos Specialist)
At Anthony Gough Waste Removals, we believe in giving straightforward, honest advice. We are an independent, fully insured non-hazardous waste carrier—we are not an asbestos abatement firm, and we never cut corners with environmental law or your safety.
What We Can Do For You
- • Standard Timber Sheds: Complete dismantling and removal of wooden sheds, summerhouses, and playhouses with felt, metal, or plastic roofs.
- • Internal Shed & Garage Clutter: Clearing out old lawnmowers, plant pots, rotten furniture, timber offcuts, and bagged rubbish stored inside.
- • Once an Asbestos Roof is Removed: If a specialist contractor removes and disposes of the asbestos cement roof sheets first, we can come in afterwards to dismantle the remaining timber frame and clear the garden.
When You Need an Asbestos Specialist
- • Intact Cement Roofs: If the roof is corrugated asbestos cement, it must be unbolted whole, double-wrapped in heavy-duty polythene, and taken to a facility licensed for hazardous waste.
- • Broken or Cracked Sheets: Never sweep or smash broken cement sheets into general rubble bags. Asbestos cement cannot go into standard skips or general waste vans.
- • Council Rules: Local authorities strictly enforce hazardous waste rules under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
What a Professional Timber & Garden Clearance Looks Like
When your shed, decking, or outbuilding is made from standard timber and non-hazardous roofing materials, our wait-and-load clearance service takes the hard graft off your hands. You don't need to pay for Nottingham City Council road skip permits or spend your weekend taking trips to the tip—we dismantle, load directly onto our vehicles, and sweep the patio clean.
Common Questions About Shed Roofs & Clearance
Can I send you a photo of my shed roof before booking?
Yes, and we always encourage it. Give us a ring on 0115 647 8283 or message us via our official Facebook page with a clear photo of your shed inside and out. With 15 years in the trade, we can quickly tell you if it is standard timber and felt that we can dismantle right away, or if the roof looks like corrugated cement that needs checking first.
Why shouldn't I let a rogue trader smash up an asbestos roof for cheap?
Aside from releasing dangerous airborne fibres across your back garden and patio, you have a legal Duty of Care under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Unlicensed "man-with-a-van" operators frequently dump broken asbestos sheets down country lanes in Nottinghamshire, and councils trace the waste back to the homeowner to issue heavy fixed penalty notices.
Do you clear the contents inside the shed at the same time?
Yes. For all standard timber sheds, garages, and outbuildings, we can clear all internal household clutter, broken garden tools, pots, old furniture, and scrap wood in one visit, excluding hazardous chemicals, wet paint cans, or asbestos.
Related Services & Guides
Shed Removal in Nottingham
Professional shed removal and garden clearance in Nottingham. We dismantle and dispose of old sheds safely. 15 years experience. Call 0115 647 8283.
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Ready to Clear Your Old Timber Shed or Garden Waste?
Whether you need a rotten wooden shed dismantled, an overgrown patio cleared, or old garage clutter removed across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, we handle all the heavy loading and dispose of your waste at licensed transfer facilities.