Quick signs to look for
Grey, rough-textured corrugated sheets, often with a mossy, weathered surface, on garages and outbuildings built before about 2000. Large flat-looking panels, fixed with bolts or hooks, are typical. Fibre cement sheets sold as non-asbestos look similar, which is why a visual guess is not enough.
What not to do
Do not drill, saw, sand, scrub or power-wash the sheets. Do not break them up to fit in a skip. These actions release fibres. Undamaged asbestos cement left alone is generally a low risk, but weathering makes it more fragile over time.
How to find out
Send photos to a contractor or surveyor. If the age of the garage and the look of the sheets suggest asbestos, a trained person takes a small sample with controls and sends it to a laboratory. You get a written result.
What happens if it is asbestos
You have three broad options: leave it and monitor it, have it sealed or covered where suitable, or have it removed. In Walsall, many owners choose removal when sheets are cracked or the garage needs a new roof anyway.
Get a quote
Use the quote form on this page, add up to five photos, and we introduce an independent local contractor who can advise and price the work.