Asbestos in Your House
Asbestos can be found in many products that have been used in the Australian building industry between the 1940's and late 1980's. It was used because of its durability, fire resistance and excellent insulating properties.
The most common found household building materials with asbestos are the asbestos-cement products such as "Fibro Cement" and "AC Sheeting". There are also many heating flues and vent pipes containing asbestos.
Special precautions need to be taken by anyone needing to disturb any asbestos content materials.
Asbestos related disease is mostly known to be associated with long term exposure in an industrial or occupational setting. However the level of exposure that may cause health effects is unknown and therefore exposure to asbestos fibres and related dust should be kept to a minimum.
Firmly bound Asbestos can be found in the following areas:
Flat or corrugated cement sheeting.
Water flues and pipes
Roof shingles
Flexible building boards
Imitation brick cladding
Plaster patching compounds
Textured paint
Vinyl floor tiles
The backing of linoleum (lino) floor coverings
Loose bound Asbestos can be found in some of the older forms of insulation used in domestic heaters and stoves and ceiling insulation. However ceiling insulation of asbestos content was generally for commercial building purposes and the occurrence in residential buildings is rare.
It is very difficult to identify the presence of asbestos by eye. Building inspectors use their knowledge of building products and work place experience to identify the likelihood of asbestos building materials being present in a home.
The only way to be certain is to have a sample of the material tested. Victoria has the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) whom you can call for an analytical laboratory in your area, phone 03 9329 1633.
Much of the content of this article has been referenced from an information booklet published by the Department of Human Services in conjunction with Worksafe Victoria, the EPA, Local Government and Building Commission - June 2003.
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