Asbest (asbestos)

Asbestos was used in Danish building materials from about 1900 to 1990, best known as eternit roof and corrugated sheets. An intact, undamaged asbestos-cement roof is not dangerous in itself, because the fibres are bound in the material. The risk arises when the material is worked, and removal is governed by Arbejdstilsynet rules.

Asbestos was phased out in stages: a main ban in 1972, the end of indoor exemptions in 1986, a ban on roof sheets and corrugated eternit in 1988 and outdoor uses in 1990. A roof of that era, roughly 1950 to 1988, therefore typically contains asbestos.

The danger arises when the material is worked: grinding, sawing, drilling, breaking or pressure-washing releases microscopic fibres that can cause pleural cancer and asbestosis many years after exposure.

Removal of asbestos roofs must follow Arbejdstilsynet requirements, and as a private individual you may not saw or take down an asbestos roof yourself. It is a job for professionals.

If you see an old eternit roof, mark it as a build-year risk: have its condition and removal requirements assessed, and put any replacement into the budget before you bid.