Asbestos

Asbestos fibres were used widely in building materials before the mid-1980s. If your house was built or renovated before the mid-1980s, it is likely to contain asbestos cement building materials.

You may be surprised at the various types of products that were made from bonded asbestos cement included fibro sheeting (flat and corrugated), water drainage and flue pipes, roofing shingles and guttering, even the backing of vinyl sheet floor coverings.

In NSW, the use of asbestos was discontinued in all fibro sheets and products by the mid-1980s. After this, asbestos continued to be used principally in friction products, for brake and clutch linings.

The manufacture and use of asbestos products was banned nationally in Australia from 31 December 2003.

Asbestos materials that are in good condition are unlikely to release asbestos fibres if left undisturbed. If asbestos materials are in good condition, paint them and leave them alone.

National Asbestos Awareness Month and Asbestos Awareness  aims to alert Australians to the dangers of working with asbestos during home renovations and maintenance and educate them about where asbestos might be found in and around the home.

Whether a home is constructed of weatherboard, brick, fibro or has exterior cladding, asbestos can be found in and around most homes built or renovated before 1987.

Asbestos can be found in kitchens, bathrooms, laundries and under floor covering, behind wall and floor tiles, in cement floors, internal and external walls, garages, ceilings, eaves, fences, extensions to homes, and backyard sheds... it could be anywhere. Don’t play renovation roulette! Get to kNOw asbestos in NOvember! Visit Asbestos Awareness. It’s not worth the risk!

Asbestos and Renovating