Asbestos – Content Hub

What is asbestos?

Not all minerals are good. Asbestos is one example of how naturally occurring minerals can have an adverse effect on humans. Mined to bring stability to concrete-like products, it was discovered that the fine fibres of these minerals were causing cancer in humans. By the time asbestos showed its true markings, one in three homes in Australia had used products with this deadly mixture.

Why is asbestos dangerous, and how much asbestos exposure is harmful?

No amount of asbestos exposure is considered safe. While daily mining and manufacturing of asbestos are certainly the most high-risk, minimum exposure can show up later in life. Because filaments and dust particles associated with asbestos are not visible to the naked eye, special asbestos testing can only determine the amount of asbestos that each structure has.

Asbestosis is the result of inhaling asbestis fibers. It is a chronic lung disease that causes lung tissue to scar. This disease can take 10 to 40 years to form and can be mild to severe. Signs of asbestosis include:

Feeling short of breath
Dry, persistent cough
Weight loss, no appetite
Tightness in chest

Mesothelioma is a tumour formed from asbestos exposure. Unlike asbestosis, the life expectancy is ten years. There is no cure. Chemotherapy and radiation may improve prognosis, but the end result is usually fatal.

Employees that worked with insulation, bricks, and concrete in the 50s and 60s have suffered the most with the regular exposure to asbestos dust. Breathing in the dust irritates the lungs and causes a place for cancer to grow.

Materials and tools

Removing asbestos is no feat for the untrained. There are special equipment, supplies, and specific knowledge that professional asbestos removal companies possess. A few of these specialty items include:

Restraint from falling
Trash bags-black asbestos labelled
Gloves bags-Grayling
Air scrubbers
Mastic removers
HEPA vacs

How to identify asbestos

There are no outward signs of asbestos in products. Only by being tested by the National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia (NATA) can the presence of asbestos be verified. However, since the number of products that used asbestos is so broad, care in every situation is given. Some of these products include:

linoleum
roofing
cement floors
internal and exterior walls
insulation

Asbestos symptoms are often realized from the age and construction of the materials in question. If unsure, they can be sent off for testing. A licensed surveyor can also take samples of materials and submit them for test results. The average cost of their services is $520.00.

Contact local asbestos experts

Other asbestos-containing materials

Asbestos-containing materials can be found in products manufactured before the 1980s, including asbestos plasterboard, underlay, and fake brick cladding asbestos.

Asbestos plasterboard: A drywall panel made from a gypsum plaster core and reinforced with asbestos fibers. It was commonly used in walls and ceilings for its fireproof and insulating properties.
Asbestos underlay: A type of insulation material made out of asbestos fibers that were commonly used to insulate floors in homes and buildings constructed prior to the 1990s.
Fake brick cladding asbestos: A thin layer of bricks applied to the exterior or interior of buildings to give the appearance of real bricks without the added weight and cost. Some fake brick cladding products were made with asbestos-containing materials, which were added to the cement or adhesive used to bond the bricks, and have since been identified as hazardous.

Villaboard and asbestos: Does Villaboard contain asbestos?

Villaboard is a popular lining product that is commonly used in both residential and commercial construction projects. It’s a type of cement-based sheet that is used as an interior lining for walls and ceilings. It is a highly versatile product suitable for high-moisture areas, making it ideal for wet areas such as bathrooms, laundries and kitchens.

Does Villaboard contain asbestos?

Most building materials manufactured before the 1980s contain some level of asbestos. This includes products like fibro sheeting, cladding and roofing, insulation, and older versions of Villaboards manufactured prior to the 1990s.

It is difficult to identify the presence of asbestos in Villaboard without conducting laboratory testing. It’s best to assume that any construction materials used prior to the 1990s could contain asbestos. If you suspect the presence of asbestos in Hardies Villaboard or other lining materials, have it professionally tested and removed.

Why you should always leave asbestos removal to a professional

Asbestos removal cost is not cheap. Depending on your location in Australia and how many square meters are involved, it can run several thousands of dollars.

Asbestos awareness should be left up to asbestos removalists experienced in what to look for and where. Asbestos removal should only be undertaken by a licensed and qualified professional in accordance with strict regulations and guidelines.

It is required for asbestos removalists to be licensed. There are two types of Asbestos Removal Licences: Class A and Class B. Class A removalists are trained to remove all signs of asbestos, while Class B can only handle solid asbestos material. An asbestos inspection can be performed and materials tested for asbestos.

How to hire an asbestos removalist

Hiring an asbestos removalist is more about the experience than the cost. There are several steps required in securing the property, planning on demolition, proper discarding, and making sure that all laws and regulations are being followed. Look for a seasoned company and prepared for any mishaps that could occur. Notifications need to be sent to surrounding properties, and the air quality is routinely tested.

Verify credentials, including license, certifications, and work experiences. It is imperative that they strictly comply with the national and state-wide Work Health and Safety Regulations to help validate their knowledge and expertise.

Licensing requirements vary across Australia. In some states like NSW, asbestos removal specialists and businesses are required to obtain a license when removing asbestos or asbestos-containing materials.

This article is going to cover the three steps needed to make sure you remove insulation from your home in a safe and effective manner;

How to prep this attic cleanup
How to safely vacuum the area you are working in.
How to properly dispose of this product.

Attic insulation needs to be replaced immediately if there are signs of rodent infestations. They can spread disease and cause structural problems to your property. Removing the old insulation can be quite a pain to do alone, but if you follow these guidelines, the process will be a lot easier.

If you are doing it by yourself, you need to make sure you focus mainly on your own safety before anything else, whether you are removing loose attic insulation for replacement with new, removing due to water damage, or just changing insulation types! Everyone should know how to remove their own home’s insulation if need be, because if you don’t know how you might end up spending too much money for something that can be done for free by yourself.

If you plan on DIYing your insulation removal, ensure you have the correct protective gear / Source: Enviroflex Insulation

Insulation removal equipment

Fully covered clothing
Gloves
Goggles
Large garbage bags/trash bags
Tarp or blanket
Vacuum
Ladder
Respirator/dust masks

Proper safety attire for your attic cleaning

Before we begin, let’s go over the proper safety attire. When it comes to insulation, it is important to keep your body protected and keep insulation inhalation to an absolute minimum. You need to protect yourself by wearing the right equipment, dressed in a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and both your safety goggles and respirator. Attic insulation can be dangerous if you aren’t wearing the clothing for the job.

Step one: Know the type of insulation you have

The very first step in removing loose attic insulation is to determine what kind of insulation you are dealing with. It is important to figure this out because many older homes contain an insulation that has a grey, almost paper-like appearance and is very harmful to your health. If you cannot identify the insulation you are working with you need to find out if the insulation is comprised with asbestos by using a testing kit. If so, the best option for you to remove the insulation is to call for a local insulation expert to remove the insulation. View our Asbestos removal cost guide if you think you might have asbestos in your home.

It’s important to know the type of insulation you are removing / Source: Active Vac and Insulation

When getting ready for insulation removal it is important that you don’t allow any damaged, mildewed, or mouldy insulation to fall and settle throughout your home. To prevent anything from going wrong, make sure that all the doors/attic opening are closed and place down your tarp in the area you are working in and tape it down to secure it.

To work in the attic safely, you should lay down some large wooden boards across the joist so that you are able to walk throughout the attic while removing the insulation. You will want the tarp to be placed in the area you will be unloading the insulation into the garbage bags. You need to have a clear path from where you are unloading the garbage bags full of insulation to the exit so that you aren’t spending too much time handling the bags, keeping minimum interaction.

Step two: Cleaning, vacuuming and disinfection

Before you start this next step, make sure that your clothing thoroughly covers all of your skin and you are wearing gloves and a respirator/mask. You will start by vacuuming all of the loose insulation throughout a small area and empty the canister into the garbage bags until the area is clear of loose insulation, then move on to the next area of the wall. With a wet-dry vacuum you are going to need to dump the insulation remnants from the vacuum canister into the trash bags every five minutes or so while vacuuming. After all of the attic walls are cleared, you then need to vacuum all of the attic joists thoroughly.

Contact local insulation experts

To start this, you’ll want to begin the process at the farthest end of the attic and make your way to the exit going backward. Getting stuck in a corner while you are stirring up insulation into the air is the last thing you want to do. Make sure you also check it twice along the floor joists to guarantee that all of the tiny insulation pieces aren’t infiltrating the air.

If you don’t own or have access to a shop-vac, then another option for you is to rent a HEPA filtered industrial vacuum. They are much higher powered than a standard shop-vac and will get the job done in much less time. It does this because it does two jobs at once; it sucks up the loose insulation and has attached a hose that routes the insulation from the vacuum straight to the trash container or garbage bags outside. This will keep the area you are working in a little bit neater and keep air infiltration to a minimum.

Step three: Insulation disposal

The third and final step in removing your attic insulation is the disposal of it. Disposing of the loose insulation you’ve collected in the garbage bags is important because of the damage that insulation can do to the environment if released. This is why you should contact your city’s waste management center to determine what the best option for dumping your insulation. It might even be as simple as leaving it out to the road with the other household trash bags, but there might be a specific dumb site that they refer you to go to for disposal.

Blown in insulation

Once you finish cleaning up the attic and remove the old insulation, it’s not a bad idea to add in more insulation if you don’t mind working up a sweat. To make sure you use enough insulation and seal up the attic bypasses, it’s still recommended to hire a local insulation professional for a long-term payoff. A proper insulation helps to save energy bills.