Key Facts
- More than one-third of Australian homes built before 1990 contain asbestos materials.
- Even brief exposure to disturbed asbestos can cause life-threatening diseases.
- Only licensed professionals can legally remove quantities exceeding 10 square metres.
In 1954, Australia was the world’s highest user of asbestos per capita, with the material featured in everything from fibro beach shacks to luxury home insulation. Fast-forward to today and experts estimate that one in three Australian homes still contains some form of asbestos material. This makes identifying asbestos a crucial skill for every homeowner.
While asbestos poses no immediate danger when left undisturbed in good condition, knowing how to identify asbestos in your home becomes critical before any renovation work. Whether you’re planning home improvements or simply want peace of mind, this guide will walk you through the essential steps of identifying asbestos materials safely and effectively.
What is asbestos?
Asbestos refers to a group of six naturally occurring fibrous minerals once widely used in construction and manufacturing. These minerals earned their popularity due to their remarkable strength, durability, and excellent resistance to heat and chemical damage.
Understanding what asbestos looks like in its various forms is important. Of these six, three can be commonly found in homes: chrysotile (white asbestos), amosite (brown asbestos), and crocidolite (blue asbestos). Each type was used extensively in different building applications, with chrysotile being the most commonly found asbestos in walls and ceiling materials.
Builders and manufacturers prized asbestos for its ability to effectively insulate, strengthen building materials, and provide fire protection at a relatively low cost. Thanks to its versatility and affordability, asbestos became a go-to material for everything from roof shingles and floor tiles to pipe insulation and wall cladding.
Under Australian law, the importation, use, and sale of all forms of asbestos have been banned since December 2003. However, materials installed before this date can legally remain in place if they’re in good condition and left undisturbed.
Why is asbestos dangerous and how much exposure is harmful?
Asbestos becomes dangerous when materials containing it are damaged or disturbed, releasing microscopic fibres into the air. These fibres are so tiny—up to 500 times thinner than a strand of human hair—that they can float in the air for days and travel long distances from their source.
When inhaled, these needle-like fibres can penetrate deep into your lungs, where they can cause serious and often fatal diseases, including:
- Asbestosis: Permanent scarring of lung tissue that makes breathing increasingly difficult. Signs of asbestosis exposure include shortness of breath, persistent and dry coughing, and tightness in the chest.
- Lung cancer: Long-term asbestos exposure increases the risk of developing lung cancer, often decades after initial contact.
- Mesothelioma: A rare but aggressive cancer affecting the lining of the lungs or abdomen, and it’s almost often linked to asbestos exposure.
- Pleural diseases affecting the chest cavity: These can include non-cancerous conditions affecting the lungs, such as thickening, plaques, and fluid buildup in the chest.
What makes asbestos particularly dangerous is that its fibres usually never break down in the body. Once lodged in the lung tissue, they remain there permanently, causing ongoing damage.
Medical experts emphasise that there is no safe level of asbestos exposure. While a single brief exposure may carry relatively low risk, each additional exposure increases the likelihood of developing asbestos-related diseases. These conditions often don’t show symptoms until 20-30 years after exposure.
However, even short-term exposure during home renovations or repairs can be dangerous if proper precautions aren’t taken. Proper identification and prevention are non-negotiable for your family’s health and safety.
Where to find asbestos in a house
Where are you most likely to find asbestos? If your home was constructed one or two decades ago, asbestos had likely been used when it was made. Most of it can be found in:
- External wall cladding and weatherboards
- Roofing, guttering, and downpipes
- Internal wall sheeting and ceiling panels
- Insulation in walls and roof spaces
- Floor tiles and underlays (learning how to identify asbestos floor tiles is crucial before renovation)
- Bathroom walls and ceilings
- Fencing panels and garden edging
- Backing material on electrical switchboards
- Water and drainage pipes
- Textured paints and coatings
- Lagging around hot water pipes
- Some window putty and sealing compounds
| Related read: How much does asbestos removal cost? |
How to identify asbestos in your home
If you want to know how to check for asbestos when looking around your home, keep reading. Asbestos can be easily identified, as we’ve detailed below.
Step 1: Visual inspection/initial assessment
Learning how to recognise asbestos starts with a thorough visual inspection of your property. Begin with exterior materials, looking for any damaged or deteriorating surfaces, especially in fibro sheeting, which often has a characteristic dimpled pattern. Pay close attention to weathered or broken sections of walls, roofing, and fencing, as these areas can expose asbestos fibres if present.
Next, move your inspection indoors and examine walls, ceilings, and flooring. When considering what asbestos looks like on walls, look for grey, bluish-grey, or off-white materials in wet areas that are wet, such as bathrooms or kitchens. These areas should be checked for water damage, crumbling, or deterioration, which can release asbestos into the air.
| Also read: Attic insulation removal and cleaning DIY |
Step 2: Material identification
Knowing how to tell if asbestos is present requires familiarity with these common characteristics:
- The distinctive “golf ball” dimple pattern on fibro cement sheets
- Multi-layered old flooring materials, especially in vinyl tiles or sheet flooring
- Textured or stippled finishes on walls and ceilings
- Rough, fibrous texture in old insulation materials
- Grey or bluish-grey cement-like products
- Corrugated roofing sheets with a mottled surface
Note that, unlike some other hazardous materials, asbestos has no smell or odour, which can help identification tough. Visual inspection and professional testing are the only reliable methods to confirm its presence in your home.
Step 3: Get a professional assessment
A licenced asbestos assessor knows exactly what to look for and where to find hidden asbestos materials that you might miss during a visual inspection. They’ll check suspicious materials, take any samples needed, and create a detailed record of everything they find.
Your assessor will give you a clear, detailed report explaining what they found and where they found it. Their report will detail the asbestos materials, their condition, and their potential risks. Most importantly, they’ll give you specific recommendations about what to do next—whether that means leaving well-maintained materials in place, setting up a monitoring schedule, or arranging for immediate removal.
Step 4: Collect samples (if necessary)
While visual inspection provides initial clues, the only definitive way to know how to tell if there is asbestos is through proper laboratory testing. Your asbestos removal specialist will let you know if professional testing is needed to confirm its presence.
Before collecting a sample, take proper precautions to reduce the release of asbestos fibres:
- Dampen the material thoroughly to catch dust and prevent it from becoming airborne.
- Use clean, sharp tools to carefully extract a small piece without breaking or crumbling the material.
- Place the sample immediately into a thick plastic bag, seal it, and place it inside a second bag for extra protection.
- Label the sample with details such as the room, location, material type, and collection date.
Finally, take your sealed samples directly to a NATA-accredited laboratory for testing. Don’t store them or leave them lying around where they might get contaminated, damaged or disturbed.
| A word of caution: Never collect samples without taking proper safety precautions first. Do not attempt to do this on your own without understanding the risks involved. If you’re unsure or uncomfortable with sampling, leave it to a professional to ensure your safety. |
Should I hire a professional to check my home for asbestos?
Absolutely. While visual inspection can help specify suspicious materials, only licensed professionals have the expertise and equipment to safely confirm asbestos presence. They understand the complex varieties of asbestos-containing materials, can safely take samples without creating hazards, and provide legally compliant documentation of their findings.
Identifying asbestos as best as you can
Identifying asbestos in your home is critical to keeping your family safe. Whether you’re planning renovations or simply maintaining your property, knowing where asbestos might be and how to spot it can help prevent exposure. Remember, while this guide helps you recognise potential asbestos materials, a professional assessment is essential to confirm and manage asbestos safely.
If you suspect your home contains asbestos, don’t take risks—contact a licenced asbestos removal service provider immediately through Oneflare. Their expertise will give you peace of mind and ensure any asbestos present is handled safely and legally.
FAQs on identifying asbestos
Is asbestos still used in building materials in Australia today?
Australia completely banned asbestos in all building materials in December 2003. You won’t find it in any legally imported materials or imports today. But if your home was built or renovated before 2003, it might still contain asbestos materials. These are fine as long as they’re in good condition and left undisturbed. You can always reach out to a professional for an asbestos inspection for your peace of mind.
How much does asbestos testing and removal cost in Australia?
Testing your home for asbestos won’t (usually) break the bank, but you can expect to pay $100 per square metre for removal and about $400 for a thorough asbestos assessment of your property. The final price depends on where the asbestos is located, how much needs removing, and how difficult it is to access.
What are the health risks of living in a house with asbestos in Australia?
If asbestos materials are undamaged and stable, they pose little immediate risk. However, regular monitoring is crucial to ensure they remain intact.
When this happens, microscopic asbestos fibres can float into the air you breathe. These fibres can lodge in your lungs and, over time, lead to serious health problems like asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma.
What are the legal requirements for asbestos removal in Australia?
The law is clear about asbestos removal: if you’re dealing with more than 10 square metres, you must hire a licenced professional.
Each state has specific asbestos removal laws, but all must comply with strict national safety guidelines on handling and disposal. These rules cover everything from personal protective equipment to proper disposal methods at authorised facilities.
Can I do DIY asbestos removal in Australia?
While some states technically allow homeowners to remove small amounts of bonded asbestos (under 10 square metres), think carefully before attempting this. One mistake in handling asbestos can release dangerous fibres into your home, endangering the household’s health. Moreover, penalties for improper asbestos removal can be severe. For instance, a roofer in SA got fined $84,000 for unlicensed asbestos removal.
In addition, DIYing asbestos removal also entails complying with strict disposal requirements and safety protocols. Most experts strongly recommend hiring professionals even for small jobs, as they have the right equipment, training, and experience to remove asbestos safely.
Does Villaboard have asbestos?
Many homeowners wonder if Villaboard has asbestos. The answer is that the company phased out asbestos from all its products by the mid-1980s. However, if your home has older fibre cement sheeting installed before 1990 and is labelled as ‘Villaboard’ or another James Hardie product, it may contain asbestos.
The only way to be certain is to have the material professionally tested, especially if you’re planning renovations or if the material shows signs of damage or deterioration.
