Asbestos in pre-2000 homes
The garage soffit is a cement sheet and the house soffits are timber. Why does the garage sheet not answer the house, and why should it not be sanded to check?
The garage sheet does not answer the house because the house soffits are timber and the garage soffit is a different material. It should not be sanded to check, because sanding would disturb a cement sheet the survey has not sampled. A home survey does not identify asbestos by wearing the surface away. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 can contain asbestos. The visit records two different soffits. It does not clear the sheet, and it does not transfer the timber finding onto the garage.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
Cement sheets on garages are identified by sampling, not by wearing the surface. Timber soffits on the house only describe those eaves. The garage is a separate element. Disturbing the sheet to see what it is is not a survey method, and this report does not ask for it. The note can say cement sheet on the garage and timber on the house. It cannot call the sheet safe or unsafe.
Leave the garage soffit undisturbed. If it has to be cut, removed or repaired, ask an asbestos surveyor to identify it first. Tell the solicitor the house timber does not cover the garage. Do not let a decorator rub the sheet to settle the question. The home survey has not sampled either eaves beyond what the eye could separate as timber or sheet.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which soffit is the cement sheet, and which is timber?
- Did you sample the garage sheet, or only record it visually?
- Did you avoid treating the house timber as an answer for the garage?
What are the typical next steps?
- Keep the garage cement sheet separate from the timber house soffits.
- Do not sand or otherwise disturb the sheet to identify it.
- Ask an asbestos surveyor if the garage soffit must be cut or removed.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
If the sheet is painted, has the paint made it identifiable?
No. Paint hides the surface. It does not identify the cement sheet, and the survey did not sample it. The house soffits being timber still does not answer the garage. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 can contain asbestos. A coating is not a sample, and the report does not call the painted sheet safe or unsafe.
Can the timber house soffits be repaired without asking about the garage?
They are a different material, so a timber repair is not a job on the cement sheet. The survey separated them for that reason. Work that stays on the timber does not identify the garage sheet and does not disturb it. If the garage eaves are included in the same job, stop and identify that sheet first. The home survey has not done so.