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TEJA SAN MIGUEL sheet roofing - quality and safety


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Hi,

I have a terrace roof consisting of polycarbonate sheets. I asked a contractor about replacing the polycarbonate sheet roofing with something more durable and he suggested TEJA SAN MIGUEL sheet roofing. Note that the existing structure of the terrace is not strong enough to support a regular tile roof. Here’s a link to Home Depot that provides some info about TEJA SAN MIGUEL:

http://www.homedepot.com.mx/materiales-de-construccion/recubrimientos-para-techo/laminas/teja-san-miguel-097-x-126-m-rojo-775291

Anyone used this material for your roof?  Is it durable, of good quality, and will it keep the terrace cool? And most importantly, is it safe? The home depot link (provided above) says it’s made of Fibrocemento, which Google Translate says is Asbestos cement. I did some reading on asbestos cement products and most websites say it’s safe, “unless they are disturbed or damaged in some way.” (From Oregon State Univ.: https://ehs.oregonstate.edu/asb-when). This site also states, “Water damage, continual vibration, aging, and physical impact such as drilling, grinding, buffing, cutting, sawing, or striking can break the materials down making [asbestos] fiber release more likely.”  Anyone know if the installation of TEJA SAN MIGUEL sheets requires cutting or drilling in to the sheets?  I will check with the contractor if he is aware the product contains asbestos, but given my limited experience with contractors here, some are not aware of what a product contains or the impacts.

A couple of other questions:

1.       Do regular roof tiles in Mexico contain asbestos cement? If they do, is it clearly marked, for e.g., on the packaging?

2.       Any other alternative roofing product you can recommend? Listed a couple of alternatives below just from searching Home Depot Mexico, but I know nothing about these products.

a.       ACEROTEJA ROJO: http://www.homedepot.com.mx/materiales-de-construccion/recubrimientos-para-techo/laminas/aceroteja-rojo-1-x-107-m-953881

b.      LÁMINA OPALIT: http://www.homedepot.com.mx/materiales-de-construccion/recubrimientos-para-techo/laminas/lamina-opalit-gc-ondulada-82-x-183-m-227168

 Thanks.

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I doubt that it is asbestos; however they do put fibres in cement to strengthen it (similar to fibreglass).  I have seen this product on carport roofs and other areas; yes it requires drilling to affix it to the support structure;  no it won''t keep things cool but if installed correctly and the holes sealed properly it will be dry.

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Asbestos doesn't pose any danger as long as it is not disturbed- the danger is when the dry material, which consists of hair-like asbestos fibers is inhaled- the fibers stay in your lungs and cause asbestosis, which is fatal. Asbestos removal crews wet the asbestos down before removing, so the fibers aren't flying around, breathable.

If your contarctor cuts or drills into dry asbestos, he's ignorant and putting himself and his workers in danger. If he keeps it wet while cutting, it should be okay, but he and his workers sould wear masks.

It wouldn't pose a danger to you once it's all in place unless it gets broken. But I have no experience with that particular roofing as to whether it will keep the area cool. If the ceiling is high, it shouldn't matter. And regular roof tiles are just made of clay.

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I have a polycarbonate roof on my patio it is16 years old. I modify the roof about 7 or 8 years ago I first coated it with permeability paint then I laid in the wet paint a polyester fabric, then after that another layer of impermabilty. It has done very well and after the rainy season i will have it painted again. I will probably get a couple more years out it , not bad for 5 year life product.I got the products at the paint store near AutoZone , and used polyester not fibreglass fabric.

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12 hours ago, WideSky said:

I doubt that it is asbestos; however they do put fibres in cement to strengthen it (similar to fibreglass).  I have seen this product on carport roofs and other areas; yes it requires drilling to affix it to the support structure;  no it won''t keep things cool but if installed correctly and the holes sealed properly it will be dry.

WideSky,

When I searched “What is Fibrocemento” in Google, I got this: Compuesto de cemento y polvo de amianto, which translates to Composed of cement and asbestos powder. I’m aware asbestos is being eliminated from products in the U.S., but unaware if it’s the same here. There could also be an error in Google Translate; looking at the word, it appears to simply say ‘cement fiber.’

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