Asbestos in Western Sydney houses

Discussion in 'What to buy' started by lostie, 31st Aug, 2021.

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  1. lostie

    lostie New Member

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    Hi, new here and new to buying houses.

    We've been looking at houses (online) in the Western Sydney area and a lot of them seem to be made of fibro with asbestos. A quick Google search seems to suggest brick houses might be a safer bet, but anything built between 1950s and 1970s could be a prime candidate.

    Does a building inspector check for asbestos?
    How to go about avoiding asbestos completely?
    Are brick houses generally better?
    How do you renovate if there is asbestos?
    Do you have to budget a significant amount for removal costs?

    Thanks!
     
  2. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

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    Anything pre-2000 poses a risk of asbestos. It is almost safe to assume anything older pre-1980's will contain asbestos.

    There are several threads about it.

    No, someone has to take a sample ie destructive test. If you don't own it, they won't let you.

    Buy something built with no imported materials & recently built.

    Better than what? They can be hotboxes.

    Engage a licensed asbestos removalist

    Depends on the type and extent eg loose fill insulation vs lagging vs bonded fibro sheets/flooring/switchboard etc
     
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  3. skater

    skater Well-Known Member

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    They've all got asbestos, but it's harmless unless you disturb it. Brick houses will have it in the wet areas. It can be expensive to remove, but it depends on how much you need to remove. We've currently got a small amount, wrapped in black plastic, ready to take to the tip. They'll take it, so long as it's wrapped correctly for a couple hundred dollars.
     
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  4. Stoffo

    Stoffo Well-Known Member

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    As per other comments.
    By the 80's it was supposed to have a warning sticker on it
    It's a bit hard to see a sticker on the back side of the sheet that has been tiled over also:confused:
    It was even put into lino (linoleum)
    Even as recent as the last 10 years it has been found in some imported products :eek:
     
  5. 34551

    34551 Well-Known Member

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    To remove asbestos completely, engage a waste removalist company. What they will typically do is engage a hygienist to inspect the house and where the asbestos is located. Then the waste removalist will engage bonded asbestos licence accredited labourers to dismantle parts of the house to strip and dispose the non-friable asbestos. Hygienist will come post-removal and give a clearance certificate that the house is now asbestos free. 1x Hygienist @ $80/hr 4x Labourers @ $60/hr + Bogie @ $100/hr + Bonded asbestos removal ~$250-350/tonne ~ $4-5k (Really depends on the company, the disposal tip they find & how quickly the labourers work).

    Every old houses have asbestos and at some point if you are going to think about reno, you will disturb it and be hazardous.
     
  6. ParraEels

    ParraEels Well-Known Member

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    you ask removalist to do it or you can do it DIY if it is less than 10 sqm. You need P2 Mask, Overall, PVA glue, 200micron plastic, nail puller, hammer, spray bottle. You can read about how to safely remove bonded asbestos. I have don't it is easy. However, I do hold asbestos supervisor training.

    Entire bathroom asbestos removal and disposal cost me $ 2000 in 2018.
     
    Stoffo likes this.

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