Millions of UK homes still at risk from asbestos, study reveals
New data has revealed that millions of UK driveways may still contain asbestos - a natural mineral that can lead to serve health conditions - in their roofs.
Figures released today (22) by Danmarque Garages - the UK’s leading asbestos garage roof replacement specialist - revealed that up to 4.9 million homes could still have garage roofs containing asbestos.
It comes as 82 per cent of the brand’s garage roof replacements involve asbestos - and 77 per cent of quote requests are for asbestos-affected garages.
Asbestos is a natural mineral that is resistant to heat and corrosion - and is widely used in insulation, automotive parts like brake pads, and building materials like roof and floor tiles.
It is understood that asbestos fibers - when inhaled over long periods of time - can cause inflammation and scarring, leading to severe health conditions, including lung cancer.
Mark Evans, Owner at Danmarque Garages said: “We’ve been removing and replacing asbestos garage roofs for over 15 years, and for the last five years we’ve seen a huge surge in the amount of failing and leaking asbestos roofs.
“Most asbestos garages were installed throughout the 1970s, 80s and 90s, so we’re at that point in time where most are now starting to crack, leak, and release their harmful asbestos fibres.
“We encourage all homeowners with asbestos in their garage to avoid disturbing it where possible to minimise the risks, and to request a free quote online.
“You’ll be surprised how cost effective it is to get back to using your garage safely again.”
However, the research further showed that only one in 10 homeowners can visually identify asbestos correctly.
And that 30 per cent of those will act when they spot it.
Unlike wall insulation or ceiling boards, garage roofs are exposed to the elements and are one of the most easily disturbed forms of asbestos still found in homes today.
Yet many owners still have no idea what’s sitting just above their heads.
The dataset also reveals the most common reasons homeowners take action (leaks, property sales, family safety) and the regions with the highest volume of asbestos garage roofs, including London, Guildford, Greater Manchester and Nottingham.
There is also detail on why visual inspection is often misleading, with most homeowners unaware of the dangers and how buyers are forcing removals before completing house purchases
Mark Evans added: “This isn’t just another housing stat.
“It’s a slow-moving public health crisis hiding in plain sight, over garden gates, up driveways, and across millions of homes.
“With the data now live, the question isn't if action needs to be taken, it's how many more families are unknowingly living beneath the danger?”
The company’s newly launched UK Asbestos Garage Roof Dataset is the most comprehensive resource of its kind, combining over 17,000 homeowner enquiries, 4,186 detailed roof quotes, over 1,000 completed garage roof replacements and corroborated data from the HSE, Government Housing Survey, FOI council disclosures, and Danmarque Garages internal data.