Asbestos in Australian homes: where it is and what you may not do

Australia had one of the highest rates of asbestos use in the world, and it was used in residential construction until it was fully banned at the end of 2003. The practical rule for homeowners is simpler than the history: if the house was built or renovated before 1990, assume asbestos is present until a test says otherwise.

Where it turns up

• Fibro sheeting on external walls and eaves.
• Wet area wall sheeting behind tiles in bathrooms and laundries.
• Vinyl floor tiles and the backing under sheet vinyl.
• Corrugated roofing and fencing.
• Insulation around old hot water systems and around flues.
• The backing board behind older electrical switchboards, which is why switchboard upgrades sometimes cost more than expected.
• Textured decorative ceilings.

Undisturbed is the key word

Asbestos in good condition and left alone is generally considered low risk, because the danger comes from airborne fibres. It becomes a problem when it is drilled, cut, sanded, broken, water-blasted or demolished. That is why the highest-risk moment in the life of an asbestos sheet is a home renovation, and why the people most at risk today are renovators rather than tradespeople.

What the rules allow

Removal is regulated, and the regulation is state-based. Broadly, there are two categories. Non-friable or bonded asbestos, such as fibro sheeting, is solid and holds its fibres in cement. Friable asbestos crumbles under hand pressure and is far more dangerous. Friable asbestos removal requires a licensed removalist everywhere in Australia, without exception. Non-friable removal has homeowner allowances in some states up to a small area, and none in others.

Because that allowance differs and carries real consequences, check your own state's work health and safety regulator before touching any of it, rather than relying on a general figure.

Getting it tested

1. 1Do not take your own sample unless you know how. Sampling is itself a disturbance.
2. 2Engage a licensed asbestos assessor to take samples and have them analysed by an accredited laboratory.
3. 3Get the result in writing. It matters for your builder, your insurer and any future sale.
4. 4If you are renovating, do this before the quotes rather than after work starts. Discovering asbestos mid-job stops the job and costs far more.

If it is already damaged

Damaged or deteriorating asbestos is not a wait-and-see situation. Do not disturb it further, keep people away from the area, and get a licensed assessor in. Storm damage to a fibro wall or roof is a common trigger and one your insurer will want to know about.