Asbestos - your questions answered
Asbestos…. feels like a scary word… particularly for those who are filled with flashbacks of ads with people on breathing apparatus showing the negative effects of asbestos exposure. Unfortunately, it was a common building material until around the mid 80s, so the likelihood of it having been used to build the house you are renting or looking to buy is very high.
At the time, it was seen as a miracle product – it was fireproof, water proof, and had excellent insulating properties, making it a popular choice for certain building components.
Asbestos was also used to manufacture almost everything from fire-proof blankets, large scale buildings, tiles, cement roof sheeting, and even fake decorative Christmas snow!
If you do find asbestos in your home, don’t freak out… Many of us live with asbestos and it can be harmless if undisturbed. Here’s some tips on what you should and shouldn’t do if you are living with asbestos.
Where is asbestos found?
There are a few places asbestos may be lurking. This can include the lining of your walls, ceiling or floors, corrugated roof sheeting, outdoor areas (garages, sheds, verandas, car ports), pipes, gutters or eaves. The most common places are behind the tiles in the kitchen and bathrooms that were built in the 1970/1980s, the eaves on the exterior of the house and in garages. It also can be contained in some paint.
Types of asbestos
There are two categories of asbestos building materials - “non-friable” and “friable”. Non-friable (also known as “bonded”) asbestos products are made from a bonding compound (such as cement) mixed with asbestos. They are solid and rigid, with the asbestos fibres tightly bound within them and generally less likely to be released into the air. Examples of non-friable asbestos include asbestos cement (AC) sheeting (fibro) and vinyl asbestos floor tiles.
Friable asbestos products are defined as materials that can be crumbled, pulverised, or reduced to a powder by hand pressure when dry. Typically, asbestos fibres are more easily released into the air from friable products. Examples of friable asbestos include insulation around hot water pipes and asbestos rope.
What does asbestos look like?
It is not always possible to tell whether a material contains asbestos simply by looking at it. Close examination of a sample using specialised microscopic procedures is the only way to conclusively determine whether a material contains asbestos.
How to know if you have asbestos in your home?
If your home was built before 1990 it's pretty much guaranteed to have asbestos hiding somewhere. Until the mid-1980s, Australia had one of the highest rates of asbestos use per person in the world. It was used in over 3000 products. If left untouched, it doesn't cause an issue. If you are renovating, most builders will be able to identify it, or we recommend you conduct a pre-purchase building and pest inspection. These experts have been through many homes, and whilst they can't identify exactly (because as mentioned they would need to undertake specialised microscopic procedures), they can give an educated estimate of the areas they suspect.
What to do if asbestos is found?
Asbestos is usually non-friable in residential buildings, except for items such as lining of electrical switchboards and backing on vinyl floor sheeting. When it’s sealed, undisturbed and in good condition, asbestos-containing material is very low risk because asbestos fibres cannot be released into the air.
It can become a hazard when it’s damaged or disturbed. If you have asbestos in your home and you’re not sure whether it is okay to leave it in place, engage a competent professional to provide you with a risk assessment. If you end up leaving it in place, ensure it is protected and not disturbed. For example, do not drill holes for downlights in asbestos-containing ceilings or eaves. Never use high-pressure water to clean asbestos cement roofs (or any asbestos containing product). This can result in damage and widespread contamination by releasing asbestos fibres.
If you want to have the asbestos removed from your home, or are conducting renovations or rebuilding, in the majority of cases (where a large amount of asbestos is contained), the law requires you to use a licensed asbestos removalist. This is the recommended option because of the potential health risks involved. You can find a licensed asbestos removalist on the WorkSafe Victoria website at www.worksafe.vic.gov.au .
Can I remove the asbestos myself?
As a homeowner, you may carry out minor repairs on asbestos cement materials, as long as the recommended safety precautions for these activities are followed.
If you decide to remove asbestos yourself, follow guidance from www.asbestos.vic.gov.au .
If you are removing asbestos from your home:
you can use your own vehicle to transport domestic asbestos.
you don’t need a waste transport certificate or vehicle permit.
you must package asbestos in the right way.
You must transport asbestos to a licensed landfill.
However, some jobs are best left to the experts. If you are considering a renovation that involves disturbing large amounts of asbestos cement materials, removing friable asbestos products, or demolition of all or part of your property, don’t do this work yourself.
Engage a licensed asbestos removalist who knows how to manage this work safely, and without risk to you or your neighbours. If you do want to remove a small amount of asbestos yourself, follow the advice provided on the Victorian Govern,ment Asbestos website here - https://www.asbestos.vic.gov.au/in-the-home/find-manage-remove-dispose/homeowner-removal
However, the best thing to do is to contact a licensed removalist, and you can find that list here - https://www.asbestos.vic.gov.au/licensed-removalists/find-a-removalist
A lot of the information in this blog has been found on the www.asbestos.vic.gov.au website. So please head there for more info.
Clients often, and understandably, freak out when they hear ‘asbestos’ from the building and pest inspector. Remember, if left alone it doesn't cause any harm, it is only an issue when disturbed by renovations, demolition or drilling. Even then, the removal cost is relatively inexpensive.
The use of all forms of asbestos has been banned in Australia since the end of 2003.
We hope this has been helpful.