Encapsulated roof
Completed white coating on an asbestos cement roof at SAICA, Warrenpoint, County Down.
- Sheets left in place
- Northern Ireland project
Asbestos roof encapsulation · County Tipperary, Ireland
Gaco Asbestos Roof Waterproofing in County Tipperary — Encapsulation Without Removal
Encapsulate and waterproof asbestos cement roofs in County Tipperary without removal — survey-led GacoFlex system applied by approved installers. Many farm buildings, factories and warehouses in County Tipperary still have corrugated asbestos cement roofs. As the sheets weather they become brittle, porous and harder to keep watertight. Encapsulation seals the surface and waterproofs the roof while the sheets stay where they are.
County Tipperary encapsulationSheets stay in place · survey-led
Approved & trusted
Survey-led, regulation-aware and manufacturer-backed
Manufacturer-backed product warrantyAvailable when the system is specified and installed by an approved installer to the manufacturer’s requirements.
Survey firstThe roof is inspected for structural soundness, condition and access before anything is specified. Not every roof is suitable.
Approved installersEnquiries from County Tipperary are routed to an approved installer who covers County Tipperary.
GacoFlex U91 + U92A U91 base coat and U92 top coat seal the asbestos cement surface.
HSA permit planned inSince the 2025 amendment, notifiable asbestos work needs an HSA permit before it starts.
Sheets stay in placeNo strip-out or disposal: the weathered surface is sealed and made watertight.
Local context
Encapsulating asbestos cement roofs on Tipperary farms and stud yards
Across Tipperary’s share of the Golden Vale, the everyday buildings of dairy and drystock farming — cubicle houses, hay barns, calf sheds and machinery stores — still carry a lot of corrugated asbestos cement. The same goes for older yards and outbuildings in the county’s bloodstock sector, which includes Coolmore Stud, the world’s largest thoroughbred breeding operation. In Clonmel, home to manufacturing sites owned by Bulmers and Merck & Co, and in the county’s market towns, older factory and warehouse roofs add to that stock.
Our verified sources hold no published 1991–2020 rainfall average for a Tipperary station, so none is quoted here. What owners can see on the roof tells them more anyway: sheets darkened by moss and lichen, crumbling edges around the fixings, and the odd crack where a sheet has taken a knock or a hard frost. Those signs show that the cement surface has weathered and the roof is starting to let water through, whether into a parlour, a feed store or a stable.
Gaco U91 and U92 are urethane coatings used to encapsulate asbestos cement. Applied over a properly prepared roof, they lock in the weathered surface and keep rain out without taking the sheets down. Preparation is the careful part: growth has to be removed without abrading the cement. Around horses and livestock, the installer also plans for animals to be housed elsewhere or kept well clear while the roof is being coated. Duratite supplies the materials and puts Tipperary farms and businesses in touch with an approved installer. Translucent rooflight panels, which often sit among the asbestos cement sheets on farm buildings, are assessed separately and may need replacing. Cracked or holed sheets are swapped for suitable replacements before coating, because the system is designed to seal weathered sheets, not bridge gaps.
The legal framework in the Republic is the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Exposure to Asbestos) Regulations 2006, as amended, enforced by the Health and Safety Authority. It covers how the work is assessed, who may carry it out and when the HSA has to be notified. Farm roofs bring a second serious danger — falls through fragile sheets — so the installer’s plan uses proper roof access equipment instead of walking on the corrugations. Tipperary County Council is the local authority for building control matters. Keep a record of the survey, the risk assessment and the work carried out alongside your farm safety statement.
Pricing
How much does asbestos roof encapsulation cost in County Tipperary?
It depends on roof area, condition, access and the specification, so we do not publish prices. After the free survey you receive a written quotation in euro from the approved installer.
Pricing · County TipperaryWritten quotation after a free survey
Why encapsulate in County Tipperary
Four reasons County Tipperary building owners choose encapsulation
Leaks through cracks and laps
Hairline cracks, failed laps and fixings let water in. The coating system bridges and seals them across the whole roof.
Fragile roof access
Asbestos cement sheets are fragile. The work is planned with safe access so no one relies on the sheets for support.
Weathered asbestos cement sheets
Older sheets lose their surface, grow moss and lichen and become porous. Encapsulation seals that weathered surface.
Cost and disruption of removal
Removal needs specialist contractors, disposal and a replacement roof. Encapsulation leaves the sheets in place.
Project evidence
Asbestos roof encapsulation at SAICA, Warrenpoint
A Northern Ireland project, photographed on site. The SAICA Warrenpoint roofs combined closed-cell roofing foam with a GacoFlex U91 base coat; the build-up for each roof in County Tipperary is set at survey.
Foam from the walkways
SAICA, Warrenpoint, County Down: closed-cell roofing foam spray-applied from the walkway system over asbestos cement (Northern Ireland project).
- Fragile-roof walkways
- No one on the sheets
GacoFlex U91 base coat
GacoFlex U91 base coat applied over the cured foam at SAICA, Warrenpoint.
- GacoFlex U91
- Sealed surface
Republic of Ireland regulations
Asbestos regulations for roof work in County Tipperary
Work on asbestos-containing materials in the Republic of Ireland is governed by the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Exposure to Asbestos) Regulations 2006 (S.I. No. 386 of 2006, as amended by S.I. No. 589 of 2010 and S.I. No. 632 of 2025).
Since the 2025 amendment, notifiable asbestos work needs an HSA permit before it starts, supported by the notification, a plan of work and a risk assessment. The installer’s programme for your County Tipperary roof builds that lead time in.
Every project is survey-led and risk-assessed, and notified to the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) where required.
Because the sheets stay in place, they remain part of the building’s asbestos records after the work in County Tipperary.
County Tipperary questions answered
Asbestos roof waterproofing FAQs · County Tipperary
Straight answers to the questions building owners and managers ask most often.
Do you treat asbestos cement roofs in County Tipperary?
Yes. Duratite Ireland takes enquiries from County Tipperary and routes them to an approved installer of the GacoFlex asbestos roof system who covers County Tipperary. We do not have a branch office in County Tipperary; the survey and application are carried out by the approved installer.
How far ahead do I need to book asbestos roof work in County Tipperary?
Allow for the survey, the specification and the HSA permit, which must be in place before notifiable asbestos work starts. The installer plans the programme around it.
Does encapsulation mean the asbestos is gone?
No. Encapsulation seals the asbestos cement sheets and makes the roof watertight, but the sheets stay in place, so they remain part of the building’s asbestos records.
How much does asbestos roof encapsulation cost in County Tipperary?
It depends on roof area, condition, access and the specification, so we do not publish prices. After the free survey you receive a written quotation in euro from the approved installer.
Which regulations apply to asbestos roof work in County Tipperary?
In the Republic of Ireland, the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Exposure to Asbestos) Regulations 2006, as amended most recently by S.I. No. 632 of 2025. Notifiable asbestos work now needs an HSA permit before it starts, supported by the notification, a plan of work and a risk assessment.
Can my asbestos roof in County Tipperary be treated without removing it?
If the survey finds the sheets structurally sound, yes. The roof is prepared, sealed with GacoFlex U91 and U92 encapsulation coatings and, where specified, finished with a GacoFlex silicone topcoat. The sheets stay in place, so there is no removal or disposal.
Can the building in County Tipperary stay in use during the work?
Often, yes, because the work is carried out on the roof with the sheets left in place. The installer’s risk assessment sets out any restrictions for your building.
Can horses or cattle stay in a Tipperary shed while its roof is coated?
Normally not directly below the work. The installer will want the area underneath cleared during preparation and application, and kept clear for the curing period set by the manufacturer. On a working farm or stud, that usually means moving animals to another building for a few days per section, so the job is planned around calving, foaling or housing periods.
What are the signs a Tipperary farm roof needs attention before it leaks?
Look for heavy moss and lichen, a rough or powdery surface, crumbling at sheet edges and around fixings, rusted bolts, and cracks at laps or ridges. Daylight showing through, or damp patches on feed and bedding after rain, means water is already getting in. Do not climb onto the roof to check — asbestos cement sheets are fragile.
Is coating a farm roof in Tipperary notifiable to the HSA?
That depends on how the work is classified in the installer’s risk assessment under the Exposure to Asbestos Regulations 2006, as amended. The regulations were updated again in 2025, so the installer checks the current HSA requirements and Code of Practice for your job. Don’t assume a farm roof is exempt simply because it is agricultural.
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Case study: SAICA, Warrenpoint
Asbestos cement roofs encapsulated in place at an industrial plant in Warrenpoint, County Down.
All areas we cover
Every county in Ireland and Northern Ireland.