andy170773

I know asbestos has been mentioned recently before, but believe it has not really answered/addressed the problem.

We have had an offer on a house accepted and are due to exchange contracts in the next week for a house built in 1981.

From my research houses built before 1987 would still have asbestos used in the construction of the house in the form of fibro, being most likely on the eaves and in bathrooms as an almost certainty.

This I do find quite worrying. I realise that asbestos in the form of fibro boards is deemed safe if not damaged.

What if ?

• Kids damage the walls somehow!!
• you want to up grade bathroom/Laundry
• change light fittings
• general renovations etc

Our options as I see them, have the house inspected for Asbestos and have it removed and replaced with a safe alternative.

Would you still feel safe that there were no fibres left in the house after removal??(disregarding the expense of having it removed in the first place).

We could have the house inspected, find there is asbestos but deemed safe (not damaged), agree to the purchase and not do any of the jobs the house needs in terms of full new bathroom/Laundry, upgrade light fitting etc and basically live with it knowing there is a possible threat to our health.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLTDknLVm4A

I apologise for sounding so negative but from what I can tell we are going to come across this problem in the majority of pre 1987 builds and don't think it is some thing we should just accept and live with as the decisions we make can adversely effect our childrens future.

Any helpful advice on the matter would be greatly appreciated.

DagBoy

Whilst I am not saying that asbestos is not dangerous - I think there is a lot of scare mongering. We live in an old Qlder that has a heap of old fibro in it, so bound to contain asbestos. Being aware of it is the main thing - if I need to make a hole in a wall I make sure I do it in a way that will not generate dust. In other words, I do not get out the angle grinder or the drill or a saw, but rather punch a hole through with a chisel.
Where practicable, when we were renovating walls we removed fibro and replaced with modern fibre board or plasterboard.

I am probably safer living in a house with fibro walls than I was working on a farm and cutting up sheets of asbestos with an angle grinder to clad a shed when I was younger

Cheers,

DagBoy

Didigriff

Part of my work here in the UK involves asbestos surveys and developing management plans for asbestos - sorry but don't have any experience of the Australian perspective but can give an idea of what should be done if you were in the UK.

Not sure what fibro is but as a rule of thumb asbestos cement products which are in good condition are best left undisturbed (asbestos cement is usually board or corrugated or can even be drainage pipes). Whilst there is a risk of damage to such materials the risk to human health is minimal providing the areas remain encapsulated in some way eg painted or covered in polyfilla.

Yes I would agree there is much hype about the problem with asbestos and in the UK it is considered that 1 fibre is sufficient to cause cancer. However as previous poster mentioned some have worked with it for years and years and are fine. Although there is some evidence that smokers are more at risk??

Loose packed asbestos products such as insulation board (known as AIB in the UK) needs to be removed by specialist licensed contractor (NOT SURE ABOUT THE UK). This is because it releases a lot of fibres if damaged hence a higher risk to human health.

But the thing to remember is asbestos is used in all sorts of products such as floor tiles, W/C cisterns and seats and even textiles - it is only a problem if there is a potential for fibre release. Also the ban on asbestos at a certain time doesn't mean it hasn't been used for repairs etc(people used to stockpile it). I recently surveyed a property that the owner has just constructed a low garden fence out of some cement board he foudn in his dads garage!

Gosh sorry I have rambled on this one but if you have any specific questions I may be able to help more. Although please don't take it as professional advice I don't want to be held responsible for any decisions you do or don't make!

Didi.

Vash the Stampede

Click here for the low-down on asbesos & fibro houses, as explained by a retired tradie in Australia.

He's an ex-pat Pom, if that helps.