Asbestos disturbed during reno

One of my clients has just been diagnosed with Lung cancer - mesothelioma. She thinks the only contact she had with absestos was when she did a renovation on an old property in Manly.

This is serious stuff.

 

Wwf were using fake asbestos too

 

I thought that it looked too good to be real.

 

We're getting some asbestos removed, full kitchen, bathroom + some extras.
Comes to about $4,500, but much better to get the professionals in.

 

Well when I paid a fortune to the so called pros to deal with the asbestos in one of my properties they left the dust all over the house.
I donned a asbestos overall and p3 breathing mask and was completely covered and I dealt with it that way. I know that I had the place cleaned after that. Sure I had to repaint the ceilings but that's better than having asbestos dust in the house.

It's easy to criticise when you don't provide an alternative.

Wetting everything with a fine mist, including the air in the house caused everything to settle. I bought a $680 commercial wet and dry Vacumn cleaner to do the job I was so furious.

I can tell you that the newspaper settling tricked worked really well and because everything was wet the Vacumn cleaner did not blow everything around.

 

Make sure the same professionals are well recommended by several people. You should be paying about $1800 a day for 5 guys working. Ask to see their class a licence

 

Asbestosman
The Asbestos was a shower lining. Does this mean that it was the non-friable type? I know all asbestos is bad, but my understanding is that the friable is worse than the non friable.
Cheers
Jen

 

No idea. I only know about stuff that is fry-able, like chips.

The place has since been completely painted, tiled, floors polished, etc, etc, and a tenant moving in shortly.

 

Hi Jen,

Friable is the asbestos that crushes by touch. Hot water lagging. Electrical switchboard gaskets, it then becomes readily airborne. This is especially nasty, The bonded asbestos is equally nasty only when broken, sanded or drilled into.

Asbestos is not a joke. Please be careful around it. Stuff we used to do is now not on. Btw please do not vacuum it. Buy a p2 mask and suit. sweep it gently and wrap it up.

 

Sweeping is absolutely not recommended as it distributes fibres.

Instead, put down heavy plastic sheets (not cheap plastic painting sheets) so any debris drops on the plastic and can be easily rolled up and disposed of at an asbestos facility.

If you need to remove any smaller debris that can't be collected on the plastic, it should be wet mopped or wiped with damp rags.

The above advice is for fibro sheet. If anyone has the (less common) friable asbestos, best to get a professional as removal requires extra care as it is very risky.

 

It's not just in houses you know

Vehicle repairers - Asbestos

Many vehicles produced before 2003 are likely to have asbestos containing components, and these parts can remain in the vehicle until replacement is required.

Prohibitions on the use of asbestos-containing products came into effect across Australia on 31 December 2003, and replacement brake pads, brake shoes and clutch plates fitted to vehicles in Victoria after this date must be asbestos free.

 

This really freaks me out!

I have asbestos in a Reno I'm doing. Of course, I'm paying professionals to remove it, but I'm still worried about dust :-(

 

I think in most cases, its luck of the draw. Obviously we need to take as much precaution as we can to avoid as much of it as possible, but realistically, you would have very likely been exposed to asbestos in one way or another in Australia.

I remember reading somewhere that even on a windy day there is enough asbestos in the air to cause harm (even if you are nowhere near asbestos materials)

Doing a reno on a property, I had some asbestos removed professionally but later found large chunks of it in the backyard just from simply digging up the existing turf. I'd imagine back in the 70's when asbestos was used in pretty much all houses, a whole heap of offcuts etc would have been left over around development sites and simply turfed/concreted over. When time comes to reno, demolish, renovate etc, it'll be exposed and carried onto neighboring properties, streets etc.... even if you do everything by the book, complete avoidance is impossible.

 

I just gather up the off cuts I find when digging.

I've got quite a few now, all wrapped up and waiting to be taken to the local asbestos disposal place once I've finished the garden.

 

P3 masks only. p2 is not good enough.

Vacumn it wet wet. Don't sweep and don't Vacumn dry. You should be sucking up pools of water from the floor.

 

That's my understanding too.. Take every precaution where/when you can to reduce your risk but you're kidding yourself if you think you can eliminate all exposure.

Although I'm no oncologist, I'm not convinced the likelihood of developing lung cancer is a function of exposure, it's a function of genetics. Similar to some chain smokers not developing lung cancer while pasive smokers do..