Patching big 6 sheets

[Andrew1983]

Have a roof on a shed which is getting in a bad way, it’s 60s built asbestos cement sheets that has rotted though at nearly every skylight. Will eventually have to re roof it but has anyone found a successful way of patching the holes? How tricky is it to slide out a bad sheet an push a new one in? Don’t fancy going up on top tbh but if it has to be done will put crawling boards on. Even getting 2 or 3 done over the bit we store feed in would be start.

 

[Hampton]

Have a roof on a shed which is getting in a bad way, it’s 60s built asbestos cement sheets that has rotted though at nearly every skylight. Will eventually have to re roof it but has anyone found a successful way of patching the holes? How tricky is it to slide out a bad sheet an push a new one in? Don’t fancy going up on top tbh but if it has to be done will put crawling boards on. Even getting 2 or 3 done over the bit we store feed in would be start.

If you are careful it’s not too hard to do, however you will probably find the roof lights are knackered too

 

[Andrew1983]

If you are careful it’s not too hard to do, however you will probably find the roof lights are knackered too

Have some left over sheets from a new roof so might give it a go but would be a lot easier if could stick something on from the inside but that would be too straight forward….

 

[Bald n Grumpy]

Seen a roof where they'd cut up a roof light and stuck patches on the underside?
Got some cracks in a roof, stood on the bales and painted with some bitumen type sealer helps a bit

 

[Hampton]

Seen a roof where they'd cut up a roof light and stuck patches on the underside?
Got some cracks in a roof, stood on the bales and painted with some bitumen type sealer helps a bit

Yes, we do that with the cracks. Works ok

 

[z.man]

Replace roof lights with longer ones this covering any holes at the joints of the sheets

 

[Water Wheel]

Replace roof lights with longer ones this covering any holes at the joints of the sheets

+1

 

[Ffermer Bach]

It is a pig of a job replacing sheets, can't remember if I used scaffold planks last time as crawling boards, with a bale of straw at the gutter, to stop the planks sliding down the roof, but having said that, once you actually get started it shouldn't take too long, two person job, as one has to lift the sheet from underneath with a bit of CLS as the other slides the sheet up on the roof

 

[jg123]

Careful with crawling boards if roof is a bit wet or green. Can be like a sledge on snow sliding down them. For odd holes iv cut a patch out of a new sheet and stuck it on the underside of the sheet with sticks like sh*t works well for small holes and safer than climbing a roof

 

[Cowmansam]

Know 3 people personally who have had life changing injuries messing about on old asbestos roofs crawling boards aren’t worth anything if the sheets are brittle you can still go straight through

 

[Ffermer Bach]

Know 3 people personally who have had life changing injuries messing about on old asbestos roofs crawling boards aren’t worth anything if the sheets are brittle you can still go straight through

if the crawling boards are long enough to span two purlins, should be ok, and to stop the boards sliding down the roof I butted the end of the boards against a big straw bale up on the loader. I would not dream of being up on a roof without crawling boards or a roof ladder

 

[TheTallGuy]

Get the roof replaced sooner rather than later if possible with the way asbestos disposal costs are going! That said, depending on the hole locations, you can do the old trick of sliding a piece of guttering under the sheet....

 

[puppet]

Cut some individual valleys from a perspex sheet and slide then between the roof light and asbestos sheet below it. No fixing required but the nails will still be in the way for some of the holes which otherwise means someone on the roof.
Rough scaffolding planks or plywood sheet up either side of the roof light but if you are not sure then get a contractor.
Few hundred quid better than a wheelchair. Or just get new sheets. 2 guys did our 80x20 lean-to in a day. £2500 and will last 50+ years

 

[roscoe erf]

Have some left over sheets from a new roof so might give it a go but would be a lot easier if could stick something on from the inside but that would be too straight forward….

Use a roof light sheet and slide it under/over the leaking one

 

[fermerboy]

Cut some individual valleys from a perspex sheet and slide then between the roof light and asbestos sheet below it. No fixing required but the nails will still be in the way for some of the holes which otherwise means someone on the roof.

On the nails being in the way, with a thin disc on the grinder or a sawzall type saw you can cut out the nail from underneath,push the stub up on to outside, slide in your repair panel and 99% of the time it will stay put without nailing back down, though we use the long tek screws anyway.
A whole sheet would need a screw or two though.

 

[snarling bee]

Know 3 people personally who have had life changing injuries messing about on old asbestos roofs crawling boards aren’t worth anything if the sheets are brittle you can still go straight through

This^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Neighbour of mine is in a wheelchair because he fell through a roof. Either don't touch it, or do EVERY CONCEIVABLE safety measure

 

[roscoe erf]

Know 3 people personally who have had life changing injuries messing about on old asbestos roofs crawling boards aren’t worth anything if the sheets are brittle you can still go straight through

Not if you use the boards correctly

 

[Cowmansam]

When the sheets shatter are you just assuming the boards going drop straight off and land on the purling one of the people I know was a professional roofer with proper boards ridge ladder and scaffolding and still broke his back when the sheets went it’s dangerous work and not to be underestimated just because we all know loads who have been up and it’s been fine

 

[Pan mixer]

I had the same problem as the OP. I mended mine from below by using some pieces of plastic curtain ( I believe that it is 2mm thick and 300mm wide) that we had for door curtains for the pigs, slid them in from underneath i.e. from inside the shed.

 

[Lexion1000]

Can’t believe no one has mentioned this but if you’re going to work on a roof PUT SOME NETS UP UNDERNEATH IT! Everyone knows someone who’s gone through a roof, it’s just not worth it to risk otherwise.