Gutters, downpipes, soffits, fascias and soil pipes were all made in asbestos cement, and they are still on a great many British houses and outbuildings. They are usually the easiest asbestos material to spot, because the profiles are distinctive and the material is thicker and duller than the plastic that replaced it. Replacing them is a normal part of a re-roof, and it is the point at which they get broken if nobody has planned for it.
What to look for
Asbestos cement gutters are heavy, matt grey and often half round with a slightly rough surface, joined with bolts and mastic rather than clipped. Downpipes are thick walled with cast collars. Soffits and fascias are flat grey sheet, frequently painted many times. Where a house has plastic gutters on asbestos cement brackets, the brackets are the material that gets cut.
Taking them down
Bolts are undone and lengths are lowered whole rather than levered off and dropped. They are heavy and awkward and they break easily, so the work needs two people and proper access rather than a ladder and optimism. Broken lengths on the ground are the commonest small contamination on a domestic job.
Soil and drain pipes
Asbestos cement was used for soil, waste and drainage pipes above and below ground. Below ground the material is often met by drainage contractors rather than by asbestos contractors, and the same rules apply: no cutting dry, no breaking out with a breaker, and the arisings are hazardous waste.
Replacing them
Rainwater goods are usually replaced in the same visit as a roof or fascia job, which is why the asbestos element belongs in the roofing quote rather than as a surprise on the day. Ask whether the existing goods have been identified, who removes them, and whether the disposal is priced.
Questions people ask about asbestos guttering
Are all old gutters asbestos?
No. Cast iron was common too, and it is much heavier and rusts. Grey, matt, bolted and non-rusting suggests asbestos cement, and a sample confirms it.
Can I paint asbestos soffits instead of replacing them?
Painting a sound soffit seals the surface and is a legitimate way of managing it. Sanding it back before painting is not, and it is the step most people get wrong.
Who removes an asbestos soil pipe?
Work on asbestos cement is normally non-licensed, so a competent contractor with the right waste route can do it. It should be planned into the drainage or plumbing job rather than discovered during it.