Leaking roof in stable

[Geordiegal]

The yard I keep my horse on is fab, everyone is lovely and helpful and she's happy there.
Torrential rain here overnight and this morning all the horses stables had puddles in. The livery price is low and its an old farmer who's canny but set in his ways. I asked about buying some sealant for the roof but have been advised it's asbestos roofing.
I mentioned this to my partner tonight and he's now panicking saying the water leaking in will be full of asbestos fibres, landing in the horses food/water and when it dries can become airborne which means we will all be breathing it in. Now he's got me worried. Speaking to some of the other girls who've been there years they said they leak all winter and he won't do anything about it as it is too costly to repair.
My partner says I need to approach him as its a health hazard but I don't want to upset him and I'm fully aware as a now retired pensioner his funds will be tight.
Any ideas/advice? X

 

[AmyMay]

I suspect you’re going to have to accept your lot, or move.

 

[Sossigpoker]

The farmer won't take on the expense of fixing an asbestos roof for you so sadly either you need to accept it or move on. (Replacing an asbestos roof is costly )

 

[ycbm]

The risk from this roof is really tiny. 90% of the roofing sheet is cement, only 10% asbestos and the cement needs to be breaking down for it to release the asbestos stuck in it. I'd be annoyed by the leaks but not the asbestos health risks. For the leaks, if the roof is low enough for you to reach, you can buy sealing strip from Screwfix that you glue on with a heat gun. It won't disturb the roof but it should fix the leak if the holes are small enough.

If you demand the farmer fixes this I'm afraid he will have no option but to tell you to leave. It costs a fortune to get asbestos dealt with, but it's safe unless it's cut, moved or so old it's crumbling into dust, which is why people are allowed to leave it alone.
.

 

[poiuytrewq]

A friend had a similar problem.
They have just laid and I guess somehow fixed other roofing sheets over top of the holes. They are full length and are doing a great job at keeping out the puddles without having cost a fortune or having to disturb or deal with the asbestos.

 

[Barton Bounty]

You can get pretty inexpensive plastic corrugated sheets that can go over top of the roof, that could be an option ?

 

[PurBee]

Expanding foam is really handy for sealing odd sized gaps in buildings. It would stick well to the asbestos sheets, if they are dry.
You dont need to completely fill the gaps with the foam, because it expands after squirting, so just try a bit, let it expand, then another bit, until the gaps are sealed. Best used on roof/wood thats dry for good sticking power. Expanding foam is waterproof too.

Or as a temporary immediate fix, buy a very heavy duty large tarp 240gsm+ and cover the roof, strapping it down well. We’ve used tent pegs knocked into stone walls as anchor points for rope strapping down a roof tarp. If the wall are wood, you could use very fat strong screws drilled-into the walls as anchor points (making sure the points of screws dont protrude inside the stables, exposed to your horses, as they are very sharp. If points are poking through due to thin wood walls, have some wooden blocks inside you drill into)

 

[SEL]

My old yard had this problem (in heavy rain one of the ponies had his outdoor rug on).

We got a lad and a long ladder to patch holes with sealant

 

[ycbm]

I don't see how you can fix new sheets over the top without screwing through the asbestos sheets and that definitely is not sensible, or, I think, legal.
.

 

[HashRouge]

I really wouldn't want my horse is a leaky stable all winter - that would probably worry me more than the asbestos!

 

[Marigold4]

My stables had cemented asbestos tiles. We removed them 25 years ago at £££ expense. We were told very little risk if we left them, as asbestos fibres were cemented in but very expensive to remove and then dispose of - planners insisted. New roof made of corrugated something or other. It leaks, is v hot in summer and noisy with wind and rain in winter. Check out which kind of tile and asbestos you have - it could be very low risk. I too panicked but now think it woukd have been better to leavethe tiles alone! Cemented asbestos tiles are VERY different from loose asbestos used to insulate things.

 

[Geordiegal]

Fab thanks for all your replies I feel a lot better now. I know very little about asbestos really! I'm going to buy some sealant and patch the holes up. They aren't huge but enough for it to be trickling in in places and causing puddles. I moved her bed over so atleast she isn't getting rained on at night. You're all marvellous thankyou for putting my mind at ease x

 

[Sealine]

We have exactly the same problem in some of the the yard I’m at. I managed to move to a stable where the roof doesn’t leak. The owner has had to accept that no one wants a stable with a leaking roof as it costs a fortune in bedding and as they won’t repair the roof we now have 3 stables empty that they losing the income from.

 

[rextherobber]

Second the expanding foam suggestion, it's cheap, it works and you're in no danger from the asbestos. Does need to be dry to apply it though.

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

Same at the yard I’m now on….expandable foam will be applied liberally during the next dry spell.

 

[Highmileagecob]

We use a sealant called Dicht Fix. It's a German made compound, needs to be used at room temperature, but can be applied during a storm and it will plug the gap and cure. Fabulous stuff. Very messy though - it is like treacle with kevlar fibres mixed in.
We find it is easier to cut a piece of paper to the right size, butter liberally with the compound, and slap the patch over the leak.

 

[julesjoy]

I used to stable at a yard with these. I bought some flashing tape and tar paint and applied from the inside. Worked a treat.

 

[Palindrome]

You can buy rolls of sticky tape type material that you can apply directly on a roof to seal an edge between a roof and a wall, or some silicone that is good for outdoor use.
Expanding foam is not waterproof, but if you use that, it normally sticks better to a wet surface (it's in the instructions to wet the surfaces before applying).

 

[Birker2020]

Fab thanks for all your replies I feel a lot better now. I know very little about asbestos really! I'm going to buy some sealant and patch the holes up. They aren't huge but enough for it to be trickling in in places and causing puddles. I moved her bed over so atleast she isn't getting rained on at night. You're all marvellous thankyou for putting my mind at ease x

here is more information from the HSE about asbestos if you are interested on the subject, (scroll down to members of the public)
https://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/faq.htm

Unfortunately your partner is correct with what he's stated, that there is a risk. Although the article is about industrial buildings and roofs I suspect the same is true with stables.



https://www.easi-dec.co.uk/news/the-dangers-of-asbestos-roof-repairs/#:~:text=Roof leaks also pose a,in the air and inhaled.