Complete house strip outs in Toowoomba

A house strip out in Toowoomba means taking an older home back to its frame, and that is where hidden asbestos tends to turn up. Linings, floor coverings and cladding all come off, so any asbestos in them gets handled, broken or bagged. Doing that blind is the risk.

What a full strip out involves

A full strip out removes the internal linings, fixtures and floor coverings. Sometimes the external cladding and eaves go too. The aim is a bare frame ready for a rebuild, a major renovation or a restump.

Toowoomba has plenty of older houses, including Queenslanders and post-war cottages. Many were altered over the decades, so the original fibro may sit behind newer plasterboard or under a later floor. You often find asbestos only once the top layer is off.

Test before the first sheet comes off

Assume nothing. Queensland guidance says to check whether a material is likely to contain asbestos, or treat it as if it does, before you disturb it.

Our usual starting point is a walk-through. We note the age of the house and the type of lining, then sample anything doubtful. A NATA-accredited lab confirms the result. You can read how that works in our guide to asbestos testing before you renovate.

The areas we check hardest

• Wet area walls and the ceilings above them.
• Laundry and kitchen splashbacks.
• Eaves, gable ends and external cladding.
• Old vinyl tiles and sheet vinyl, which may have a friable felt backing.
• Patched or textured wall and ceiling surfaces.
• Meter boards and switchboards, including old timber boxes lined with fibro.

Low-density asbestos fibre board is treated as friable. Only a Class A removalist may remove it. If we find it, we will say so plainly and explain what comes next.

Sequence matters

The asbestos comes out before the rest of the strip out. Other trades then work in a space that has been cleaned and signed off, and they are not exposed to dust they did not know about.

This is the order we follow:

1. Identify and sample.
2. Cordon off the work area and prepare the SWMS.
3. Remove the bonded asbestos using wet methods and hand tools.
4. Wrap and label the waste, then transport it for lawful disposal.
5. Clean the site and arrange the clearance inspection.
6. Hand the house over for the general strip out.

Who does what

Our contractors hold a Class B licence for non-friable asbestos. Anything friable needs a Class A licensed removalist. If your house has crumbling or fire-damaged asbestos, call and we will talk it through.

The clearance inspection is carried out by an independent competent person or assessor. We do not mark our own work. Once the area passes, you receive the clearance certificate.

What about doing it yourself?

Homeowners may remove 10 m² or less of bonded asbestos without a certificate, if they follow the safety rules. That is roughly one bathroom wall. The whole job counts toward the 10 m², not each day, and a full house strip out will almost always go well beyond it. Over 10 m², you need a certificate or a licensed contractor.

Never saw, sand, scrape or drill asbestos. Never put it in a household bin. Rules change, so check the current rules at asbestos.qld.gov.au.

Related information

Our strip outs and demolition page covers the full service. If the house is coming down instead, read about demolishing a house with asbestos. For wet areas on their own, see kitchen and bathroom strip outs.

We can help with homes across Toowoomba and its suburbs. Call (07) 3185 2323 to book a time to look at yours.