Asbestos In the home

Asbestos In the home

In general, almost all buildings constructed prior to mid-1980’s contains some asbestos within their walls, Australia was one of the highest users per capita in the world up until the mid-1980s. Approximately one third of homes built in Australia contain asbestos products and the widespread use of asbestos has continued to cause issues for homeowners. There are basically two types of asbestos materials used in construction, friable and bonded (non-friable). Asbestos containing materials (ACMs) are classified as either friable or non-friable asbestos and both pose a significant health risk to all workers and others if the materials are not properly maintained or removed carefully. Serious health risks are possible where there is:

• building and/or maintenance work involving ACMs and
• demolition and/or removal of ACMs
• the presence of ambient levels of asbestos
• weathering of ACMs
• the presence of damaged ACM

If you’re planning home renovations, it is important to know if asbestos could be present on the property. Asbestos was used in over 3,000 different products, including those used in areas commonly renovated by homeowners like bathrooms, kitchens and under vinyl floors and in carpet underlay to which many homeowners are unaware. You should consider a professional building inspector from Australian Property Building Inspections (APBI) to undertake an assessment to identify any potential asbestos materials and if identified organise the removal of asbestos safely. Although sample analysis under microscopic examination is the only way to confirm the presence of asbestos is, assume suspected materials are asbestos if there is any doubt.

The most common building material that contains bonded asbestos is fibro sheeting that gained popularity during the post-war construction boom due to its durability and cost. Fibro sheeting was used for external wall cladding, external eaves linings, internal wall linings such as wet areas including laundries and kitchens, ceiling linings, garage internal linings.

Below is a list of asbestos related areas you need to know

• roof sheeting and capping
• guttering
• gables, eaves/water pipes and flues
• wall sheeting (flat or a weatherboard style       
• vinyl sheet flooring
• carpet and tile underlays                                                             
• zelemite backing boards to the switchboards
• flexible building boards
• imitation brick cladding
• fencing
• carports and sheds
• waterproof membrane
• telecommunications pits
• some types of window putty
• expansion joints
• packing under beams
• concrete formwork

Other parts of houses which can contain asbestos include shower recess wall linings, roof tile bedding, roof sheeting and roof capping, lino flooring, vinyl flooring, the backing boards to electrical meter boxes, electrical fuses, slip joints and formwork to infill slabs (concrete formwork which remains in place), fences, carpet underlay, piping and insulation. Friable asbestos is considered the most dangerous of the two and is usually found in thermal insulation and pipe lagging (type of insulation) and is not often located in domestic buildings.

Houses containing fibro when renovated often contain building debris that could include asbestos material found throughout the roof space and subfloor.

Our building inspectors will alert you to this if found during a building and pest inspection and provide your building report within 24 hours detailing areas they believe will contain asbestos.