Its last day had arrived. Early on we were advised the roof may contain asbestos so I sent a small sample off to http://www.cornerstonesafety.co.uk/ in Kent. Sure enough the results came back positive. The test cost me £55 for two samples and I had the results within a week. Although the asbestos was Chrysotile or white asbestos (so not the really nasty stuff) it still potentially added on a hefty extra to our bill. Our local Council also provided this service at a cost of £79 with a quick 1 day turn around.
There were two options.
- Buy some protective suits and dismantle the roof ourselves, sealing the tiles into rubble bags and taking them to the dump (recycling centre). In Cornwall this would incur a £10 fee per bag for disposal.
- Buy in the services of a local demolition company. Although this can be pricey we shopped around and would recommend http://plymouthdemolition.co.uk/. It cost us £450 to remove the tiles (25m2) and a further £500 (plus VAT) to knock the walls down and remove the slab. Shop around though – the costs for asbestos removal vary widely.
And so the garage was no more – next stage footings – enter Ross of Morcom Construction a local colleague and friend of Angelas.