Asbestos

[***super_nova***]

there is some cement sheeting on our shed.  It looked old when we bought this house almost 20 years ago.  How likely it is asbestos, and how do we find out?

[youcandoityoucandoityoucandoit]

Thanks for that lurker... your builder is giving you excellent advice!

As I mentioned in my earlier post, we were told that unless the asbestos had cracks or was broken in some way, the actual fibres were inert, and were therefore safe. 

Lots and lots of people ( though not based on personal experience!) told us too that it would cost $$$$$ but it wasnt even half that. We had a number of quotes- one was for $25,000 which was just a complete ripoff- and they wanted us to also arrange a skip and pay for that too, and it would take days to do. 

The company that removed ours were really efficient- 2 men, wearing suits like spacemen, covering the entire roof with plastic tarp and then wrapping the sheets of asbestos in the plastic and then into a skip that got covered and then was taken by them to be disposed of.

This was the first thing we did when we renovated, and the site was closed for 2 days, and we left part of the roof open for a deck..

[wilk1149]

Some councils actually sell an asbestos removal kit. You can remove it yourself in my shire just wear adequate protection and there is,a specific micron if plastic one must use to contain it and the refuse transfer station has a special bin for it

[goldenjet16]

There are certain types of masks you should where if you do it yourself, which in your case I would not, I've seen it removed many of times in construction, don't use a cheap mask you buy at a hardware store, the professional masks come with screw on canisters.

I wouldn't mess with it...

[***super_nova***]

Few years back my daughter had a house with shed that had asbestos roof  (about 8m x 4m) and we had it professionally removed.  The workers came  with their white suits and masks, sprayed the roof both sides with a sealer, especially around the nails, and then double (? or triple) wrapped it in strong black plastic and sealed with tape each layer.  It was not all that expensive. 

But nowadays the only place to dispose of it is on the other side of town, about 100km from here, people charge for the 200km trip, and so it is lot more costly. 

[***super_nova***]

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@wilk1149 wrote:
Some councils actually sell an asbestos removal kit. You can remove it yourself in my shire just wear adequate protection and there is,a specific micron if plastic one must use to contain it and the refuse transfer station has a special bin for it

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What a great idea, I wish our council would do something like that.  When they do not, I bet that many people put small pieces just in garbage. 

[polksaladallie]

We are told that one third of houses in Queensland have asbestos walls or roofs etc.

It is of no worry unless it is cut or drilled etc.  Electricians wear a mask to put in a power point. 

Painting it will make it look better, because in its natural state it is boring.  But painting won't help if it is cut at all.

[bella_again · Accepted solution]

Most houses pre 85 I believe have some form of asbestos in.  Basically if it is not falling apart, the risk is minimal.  As long as you don't cut, saw, nail or screw it etc.  The best solution is to seal it via painting that minimises risk even more.

If it has cracked you can remove it yourself and take it to an approved waste site. There are procedures to follow if you decide to do that and you must be very careful.

If the other side has an orange peel effect to it (rough and bumpy) it is almost certainty asbestos, if it is smooth it could still be villa board with asbestos in because of the era it was built.  You can buy a test kit yourself if you are worried, just google.

I've lived in many houses with asbestos in, as long as you leave it alone it should be fine.

[***super_nova***]

Interesting, Hardie's admit to use asbestos until 1987:

http://www.jameshardie.com.au/asbestos-fact-sheet/

[bella_again]

Wow so even later than we are all led to believe.  Thanks for that Super, all handy info to remember.