Lock-up garages with asbestos roofs: a guide for Runcorn owners and housing providers

Rows of lock-up garages on Runcorn's estates often have cement roofs. When to leave them, and how removal works.

Many of Runcorn's new-town estates include blocks of lock-up garages, and most were roofed with corrugated cement sheets.

Leave or remove?

Intact sheets are low risk. Leaking, broken or moss-heavy roofs are usually the trigger for replacement, and that is when the asbestos has to be dealt with properly.

Doing a whole block

For housing providers, replacing a whole row at once is usually cheaper per garage than one at a time, and keeps disruption to one visit.

Quick answers

Do tenants need to empty the garages?

Usually yes, so contents are protected and the work area can be controlled.

Is a licence needed?

Cement sheet removal is normally non-licensed work, but it must still be done under controlled conditions with proper disposal.