removing brick cladding

Hi,
We are looking at a house in Ballarat to purchase which has brick cladding. My questions are;

1. When it was clad, do they take the weatherboards off - or do they clad over the top of weatherboards?
2. I have heard some cladding can be made of asbestos. If it is asbestos, how much will it cost to remove?
3. Do you need a planning permit to remove it?

Many thanks
Gilan

Hi Gilan

Glad to see another person from Ballarat on here. I dont know the answers to your questions but I would suggest having a chat to the agent about it. Ask them to query the owner. They can hopfully tell you if the weatherboards are still on - I'm 95% sure they would be and they might be able to give you the name of the company who put the cladding on which will enable you to call the compnay and have your asbestos question answered.

Goodluck
Tim

Hi,

1. Usually the brick cladding product is put on over the weatherboards.  
2. Asbestos the time this product was the rage I would say yes. BUT to know for sure it would need to be tested and this in QLD anyway, a sample is taken and is tested in a lab, last time I had it done was about $170.00 about 2 years ago.
3. Not sure what your rules are in VIC but a B class is required for removal as a minimum in Qld however there are set guidelines on how it is to be removed and disposed of.

Brian

Thanks Tim and Brad,
I appreciate your feedback.
I tried to find out how long the cladding had been on there. The current owner has been there 40 years and said they were there when they bought the house - so would be asbestos for sure.
I rang an asbestos removal man. He reckons it would cost $3-5,000 to remove. Another asbestos removal man said $8,000. So I dont know who is pulling my leg. The too cheap man or the too expensive man. I will have to get a formal quote should we proceed but would like to know how much as I'm trying to work out my reno costs.
 Any one else had brick cladding asbestos removed professionally that could let me know how much it cost?
Many thanks
Gilan