Seale Village Hall, Nr Farnham – Re-roofing the Hall (1839/D)

The aim of the project is to re-roof the hall. The Hall has a dual pitched roof covered with asbestos tiles over a steel truss frame with softwood purlins spanning between the frames. The surfaces of the asbestos tiles have calcified with a dark organic coating which is effectively providing a weathering surface and resistance to moisture and encapsulation of asbestos fibres. The roof has a significant accumulation of moss, which has penetrated the surface of the asbestos tiles, stripping the calcified layer and leaving exposed asbestos fibres. This stripping has broken down the weathering layer and water resistance allowing the surface of the tiles to become saturated, which will lead to accelerated breakdown of the tiles. In view of the deteriorating condition of the asbestos tiles, they should be replaced within the next year or 2. The current condition of the roof will soon give rise to water penetration resulting in other damage within the Hall. The Trust grant is a contribution towards the re-roofing.