Asbestos testing before you renovate

Asbestos testing before renovation is the cheapest protection you can buy for an older home. Once a sheet has been cut, sanded or smashed with a hammer, the fibres cannot be put back. Checking first keeps the job safe and keeps it moving.

Queensland guidance is direct on this point. Before you disturb a material, you must check whether it is likely to contain asbestos, or assume that it does.

Step 1: Work out the age of the building

If the home was built before 1990, assume some of it contains asbestos. That is the Queensland Government's rule of thumb. If it was built after 31 December 2003, the national ban means new materials should be free of it, though reused materials can still be an issue.

Step 2: List every material you will disturb

Write down each wall, ceiling, floor, eave and fitting that your renovation touches. Think about what is behind and under things too. Common culprits in a renovation are:

• wet area wall and ceiling sheeting
• vinyl tiles and the backing under old sheet vinyl
• textured paint and plaster patching compounds
• eaves, gables and wall cladding
• meter boxes and switchboards

Our guide to where asbestos is found in Queensland homes helps you build this list.

Step 3: Test or assume

For each material you have two honest choices. Either assume it contains asbestos and work on that basis, or have it tested. We can arrange sampling and lab analysis through our asbestos testing service in Toowoomba. The process is explained in how asbestos samples are tested.

Testing is worth it when the answer changes your plan. A negative result may save you from treating a whole room as asbestos. A positive result tells you early so you can budget and book the right people.

Step 4: Decide who does the work

Queensland has a simple threshold for non-friable (bonded) asbestos:

• Homeowners and owner-builders can remove 10 m² or less without a certificate, but must follow safety precautions.
• Over 10 m², you need a certificate yourself or must hire a contractor with a current asbestos removal licence.
• The whole job counts. You cannot split it into smaller pieces on different days.
• Helpers working with you need a certificate too.
• Friable asbestos must never be removed by a homeowner.

For scale, 10 m² is about four sheets of asbestos cement wall sheeting, or usually one wall of an average bathroom. If that sounds close to your job, it is safer to book a licensed removalist. Our contractors hold a Class B licence for non-friable work, and our asbestos removal service covers the common renovation jobs.

Step 5: Know what is banned

Whatever the size of the job, some actions are prohibited for everyone:

• power tools without dust control
• high pressure water cleaners
• compressed air or abrasive blasting
• household vacuum cleaners, even with a HEPA filter

Homeowners must not use a power tool to cut or clean asbestos materials. Never saw, sand, scrape or drill holes in it. Talk to your neighbours before work starts, because the public health law also requires that you do not release fibres into the air.

Step 6: Plan the waste

Asbestos waste does not go in the domestic bin. It has to be wrapped, labelled and taken to a facility that accepts it. Ask us about disposal and transport when you call, and check current requirements with the council.

Rules change, so look at asbestos.qld.gov.au before you start.

A simple rule

If you cannot say for sure what a material is, stop and find out. Call us on (07) 3185 2323 and we will help you sort out which parts of your renovation need testing.