Non Asbestos Roof Slates

Before the 1980s most artificial roofing slate was made from asbestos cement a material that had a long track record of successful performance.

Non asbestos roof slates.

A number of these products promising a life of 50 years or longer were found to fail early in their life in the 1990s. It only takes being exposed to asbestos one time to get mesothelioma and other lung diseases and any improper handling of asbestos can impact a person s health down the road. Many asbestos roofs and siding are damaged cracked or broken. Asbestos roofing tiles are predominately comprised of cement.

The slates are pigmented during production and are fully compressed. The asbestos content will vary on the manufacturer but the content will typically be 15 or less. Asbestos was banned in 1989 so as the buildings that incorporated it age their roofing and siding will fall into disrepair. Cembrit fibercement slates are manufactured using portland cement together with a non asbestos formulation of superior blended synthetic and cellulose fibres.

Asbestos containing roofing materials were a popular choice for the citizens of the u s. They are finished with a high quality semi matt acrylic coloured coating to the top face and edges and a tinted or transparent high performance binder to the back face. Asbestos siding in particular however has a tendency to chip crack and break with normal wear and tear of family life. When the use of asbestos became forbidden manufacturers rushed to replace asbestos containing products with cement based products reinforced with non asbestos materials.

Thanks to its impressive durability and fire resistance the mineral was widely used in a variety of roofing slates. A number of non asbestos manufactured or synthetic slates or fiber cement roof shingles slate tiles that were produced when manufacturers stopped using asbestos were made using wood fibers or other materials.