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Asbestos Inspection in Mitchells Plain & the Cape Flats
Asbestos cement roof sheeting is widespread on pre-1990 Cape Flats housing. Intact, painted sheeting is generally low risk and often best left in place and maintained. The material becomes a genuine hazard when it deteriorates, or when someone drills, cuts or pressure-washes it.
Covering: Mitchells Plain · Athlone · Grassy Park · Lansdowne · Hanover Park · Retreat
What the housing stock here is like
Large volumes of pre-1990 housing built with asbestos cement roof sheeting, ceiling boards, gutters and downpipes. Because asbestos has been prohibited in South Africa since 2008, anything present predates that — and much of it is now decades past installation.
What actually causes it in Mitchells Plain & the Cape Flats
- Weathered roof sheeting
- Coastal wind and salt strip the surface of cement sheeting over time. Once the surface is friable and shedding, the risk assessment changes from "manage in place" to "act".
- Disturbance during renovation
- Drilling for a satellite bracket, cutting a sheet to fit, or demolishing an outbuilding releases fibres from material that was safely bound.
- High-pressure cleaning
- The most common and most damaging local mistake, usually done to smarten a roof before selling. It blasts the weathered layer into the air, the gutters and the soil.
- Wind-driven rain and subsidence
- Low-lying reclaimed ground and exposed elevations bring their own damp and movement issues, often found on the same inspection.
Worth knowing before you spend money
There is no statutory asbestos certificate required to transfer a property in South Africa — electrical, gas, electric fence and, in the City of Cape Town, plumbing are the legislated ones. If a bank or insurer has asked for something, ask them precisely what they want to see before you pay for anything, because the requirement is contractual and varies between institutions.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I have to remove an asbestos roof before selling?
No law requires it. Intact, painted sheeting is generally low risk. Some banks and insurers apply their own conditions where there is an asbestos roof, so find out what is actually being asked before committing to a removal quote.
Can I paint over asbestos sheeting?
Encapsulation — sealing intact sheeting with an appropriate coating — is a recognised and far cheaper alternative to removal, at roughly R120 to R300 per square metre. It is often the proportionate choice for material in reasonable condition.
Who may legally remove asbestos?
Only a contractor registered with the Department of Employment and Labour, working to a written work plan notified in advance under the Asbestos Abatement Regulations, 2020. A general roofer stripping sheets as part of a re-roof is working unlawfully.