Asbestos Decramastic and Super Six Roof Removal NZ: A Simple Homeowner’s Guide

Asbestos Decramastic and Super Six Roofs: What Homeowners Need to Know

If your home has an old decramastic roof or Super Six asbestos roof, do not panic — but do not muck around with it either.

A lot of older homes across Auckland, Waikato, and the rest of New Zealand still have asbestos roofing. It may look harmless sitting up there, but once it is cut, broken, drilled, water-blasted, dragged, smashed, or thrown into a skip, it can release asbestos fibres.

That is the part you cannot see. And that is the part that matters.

WorkSafe New Zealand’s homeowner guidance says asbestos may be found in homes and on properties, and people should get proper advice before disturbing suspected asbestos materials.

What Is an Asbestos Decramastic Roof?

A decramastic roof is a pressed metal tile roof, often with a textured coating. Some older decramastic roofing systems can contain asbestos in the backing, coating, or associated materials.

Common signs include:

• Older textured metal roof tiles
• Stone-chip style coating
• Roof installed decades ago
• Roof is worn, flaking, rusty, or brittle
• Unknown roofing history

You cannot tell for sure just by looking. The only reliable way is to get proper asbestos testing.

What Is a Super Six Asbestos Roof?

Super Six roofing is the old corrugated asbestos cement roofing. It is usually thicker and more brittle than modern roofing. It was commonly used on houses, garages, sheds, lean-tos, workshops, and farm buildings.

It often looks like:

• Large corrugated cement sheets
• Grey weathered roof sheets
• Brittle cracked roofing
• Old garage or shed roofing
• Wavy roof sheets with visible fixings

Super Six roofing is usually treated as non-friable asbestos if intact, but once it is broken, smashed, drilled, cut, or badly weathered, the risk increases.

Why Homeowners Should Not Remove These Roofs Themselves

This is where a lot of people get caught out.

They think:

“It’s only old roofing. I’ll pull it off on Saturday and dump it.”

Bad idea.

Asbestos roofing removal can involve:

• Working at height
• Brittle roof sheets
• Falling through the roof
• Fibre release
• Contaminated gutters
• Contaminated dust
• Wrong disposal
• Neighbour complaints
• WorkSafe or council issues
• Costly clean-up if it goes wrong

Under the Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016, licensed asbestos removal work must be notified to WorkSafe at least 5 days before it starts, unless an emergency exception applies.

For more than small amounts of non-friable asbestos, a licensed asbestos removalist is generally required. WorkSafe’s asbestos guidance and Approved Code of Practice set out expectations for managing and removing asbestos safely.

Safe Procedure for Removing Asbestos Decramastic and Super Six Roofs

Step 1: Identify the Roof Material

Before anything is touched, the roof needs to be identified.

A proper asbestos removalist or asbestos surveyor will check:

• Roof type
• Age of the building
• Condition of the roof
• Whether the roof is brittle
• Whether there is asbestos in gutters or debris
• Whether testing is needed
• Whether other materials like soffits, cladding, or flashings may also contain asbestos

Do not drill or cut a sample yourself unless you know exactly what you are doing. Poor sampling can create contamination.

Step 2: Plan the Job Properly

A proper asbestos roof removal job should not start with someone climbing up there with a crowbar.

The removalist should prepare:

• An asbestos removal control plan
• Risk assessment
• WorkSafe notification, where required
• Site setup plan
• Fall protection plan
• Waste plan
• Emergency plan
• Decontamination process

WorkSafe’s safe work practice sheet for asbestos cement panel removal lists basic controls such as warning tape/notices, heavy-duty polythene sheeting, and adhesive tape.

Step 3: Set Up the Site

Before removal starts, the site should be controlled.

This usually includes:

• Warning signs
• Exclusion zone
• Barriers or fencing
• Drop sheets where needed
• Safe access
• Scaffold or edge protection
• No public access
• No children or pets nearby
• No other trades working underneath
• Waste wrapping area
• Decontamination area

For roofing work, height safety is just as important as asbestos safety. Falling through an old brittle Super Six roof can be fatal.

Step 4: Use the Right PPE and RPE

Workers should use proper asbestos PPE and respiratory protection.

This normally includes:

• Disposable coveralls
• Gloves
• Safety boots
• Eye protection
• Correct respirator
• Fit-tested RPE where required
• Decontamination procedure

A paper dust mask from the garage is not enough.

Step 5: Keep the Roof Wet — But Do Not Water-Blast It

Asbestos roof removal should use controlled wet methods to reduce dust.

But never use:

• High-pressure water blasting
• Grinding
• Sanding
• Dry cutting
• Power sawing
• Abrasive blasting
• Leaf blowers
• Dry sweeping

Water-blasting an asbestos roof can spread contamination across the roof, gutters, soil, paths, neighbours’ properties, and stormwater system. That can turn a roof job into a very expensive clean-up.

Step 6: Remove Sheets Carefully

The goal is to remove the roof material with as little breakage as possible.

For Super Six roofing, this means:

• Remove fixings carefully
• Avoid breaking sheets
• Lower sheets safely
• Do not throw sheets from the roof
• Do not smash sheets to fit into a bin
• Wrap and label waste correctly

For decramastic roofing, the removalist should avoid damaging coatings or backing materials and should treat suspect asbestos components as contaminated unless proven otherwise.

Step 7: Manage Gutters and Roof Debris

Old asbestos roofs often leave debris in:

• Gutters
• Downpipes
• Roof cavities
• Garden beds
• Driveways
• Under eaves
• Around garages and sheds

A good removalist will check for contamination and clean the work area using asbestos-safe methods.

That means no dry sweeping and no blowing dust around.

Step 8: Wrap, Label, Transport, and Dispose Correctly

Asbestos waste must be:

• Kept controlled
• Wrapped in heavy-duty plastic
• Sealed properly
• Labelled as asbestos waste
• Transported safely
• Disposed of at an approved facility

You cannot just put asbestos roofing into a normal rubbish skip or dump it with general building waste.

Keep disposal receipts. They are useful proof that the waste was handled properly.

Step 9: Clearance and Handover

After the roof is removed, the area should be checked before other work starts.

Depending on the job, this may include:

• Visual inspection
• Clearance documentation
• Waste disposal records
• Photos
• Confirmation the area is ready for re-roofing

Do not let roofers, builders, painters, or scaffolders back into the area until the asbestos removal area has been made safe.

Decramastic vs Super Six: What Is the Difference?

Both need proper planning. Both need safe access. Both need correct disposal.

Common Homeowner Mistakes

Avoid these:

• Letting an unlicensed handyman remove the roof
• Water-blasting the roof before painting
• Breaking sheets to make removal easier
• Throwing asbestos roofing into a skip
• Letting roofers start before asbestos is cleared
• Forgetting gutters and debris
• Not telling neighbours
• Not keeping waste disposal records
• Assuming “old cement roofing” is harmless

The cheap shortcut can become the expensive mistake.

When Should You Call a Professional?

Call a Class B asbestos removalist if:

• The roof is old and suspect
• The roof is Super Six
• The roof area is more than a small amount
• The roof is cracked, brittle, or damaged
• You are planning re-roofing
• You are demolishing a garage, shed, or house
• There are asbestos soffits, cladding, or gutters nearby
• You want the job done safely and legally

How PropertyHelp Ltd Can Help

PropertyHelp Ltd provides Class B asbestos removal services for homeowners in Auckland and Waikato, including:

• Asbestos decramastic roof removal
• Super Six asbestos roof removal
• Asbestos soffit removal
• Asbestos cladding removal
• Asbestos fence removal
• Asbestos testing and survey support
• Waste wrapping and disposal
• WorkSafe notification where required
• Asbestos Removal Control Plans
• Safe handover for re-roofing or demolition

We keep it simple: inspect it, plan it, remove it safely, dispose of it properly, and give you the paperwork.

Final Word for Homeowners

If you have an old asbestos decramastic or Super Six roof, the safest move is not to touch it until you know what it is.

Do not water-blast it.
Do not cut it.
Do not smash it.
Do not chuck it in a trailer and hope for the best.

Get it checked, use the right removal process, and make sure the waste goes to the right place.

That is how you protect your home, your family, your neighbours, and the workers who come after you.