im hoping someone can help me. i am looking at buying my first investment property and i have found a really good deal only that the back half of the house is cement sheeting which im asuming is asbestos.. Do people touch houses that have asbestos or are most old houses going to have some.. Do i steer clear of them or just get it removed and what sort of costs am i going to be up for..
Any opions would be apprecitated. [trigger][trigger]Hi Smiley71,
As long as asbestos remains covered by paint it shouldn’t be a problem. Issues only arise when a reno is needed, or a hole is made in a wall. You could leave it in place, and put gyprock over the top, and this will also give you added insulation. Removal is a difficult job and requires protective clothing and a proper breathing mask. In most areas of Australia the removal of asbestos must be conducted by a licenced contractor, although some concession still apply to the DIY person. I’d probably ring your local Council to find out what is applicable in your area.
In most cases Asbestos is usually characterised by a deep ripple on the sheeting.
Hope this helps
Amanda
“It is better to be inconspicuously wealthy, than to be ostentatiously poor…”Hi Smiley,
Please be careful if you do buy something with asbestos.
Amanda is right.
I have been a painter for some years and was unaware of what was asbestos. I was exposed on 5 occasions that I know of and now have to be tested every 2 years.
It may pay to have it tested just so you know and any possible tradesmen will know.
It may be a good bargaining chip.
Regards
FrankHi Frank.
I am curious about what sort of test you have every two years, if you don’t mind sharing.
We have renovated, painted or fiddled with about 30 houses in 30 years, our own and my parents, some more than once. I feel sick to my stomach when I let my mind dwell on the fact that we have pulled out asbestos without knowing it was dangerous, mainly early days when the public were kept pretty much in the dark about the dangers.
I have thought about asking for a chest x-ray for hubby (and me) so that if something nasty is developing, there is a possibility of doing something about it, although I don’t know whether there is anything that can be done.
Wylie
We’ve recently completed renovation our ’60s apartment.
Yes, asbestos WAS found (in the most unexpected place).
It was actually IN the front door, which has to be fire-rated. Ours had a deep crack on the top since purchase. No one thought anything of it until we got a locksmith to change the front door lock. He found white power, freaked out, and walked out (screaming: “Asbestos!”).
We paid for an inspector, who confirmed it, also found more in the ceiling of the balcony (which we paid for proper removal).
Thankfully the front door was covered by the building insurance.
I think getting a proper inspection is pretty important; especially if you plan to have wrok done to it.
There is a lot of hysteria about asbestos these days.
Asbestos is only dangerous if it is airborne. This means only when it is cut, broken or otherwise disturbed. EG it is not dangerous in your rainwater as it affects your lungs, not your stomach.
You should know that there are several types of asbestos. The most common and least dangerous asbestos is bonded asbestos which mainly occurs in roofing and walling materials (deep six corrugated, shingles, and wall cladding) and is fairly easy to recognise. The wall sheets normally have wooden cover strips and are very brittle, while the newer fibrecement sheets have PVC joiners and the breaks reveals layers. These products only have about 10% asbestos contents. While not great, I believe they are more a perceived danger, rather than a huge threat and may allow for some bargaining power.
The really dangerous asbestos is the friable asbestos found in insulations around pipes, etc. If you find that, you want to be really careful. Get in the experts and get rid of it as fast as possible or run away from the deal.
Covering asbestos up with gyprock (inside) or plastering/texture coating (outside) could be cheaper alternatives to deal with the problems.
Because people are so sensitive to asbestos, you want to do make sure you have done your homework and have a clear action plan implemented.[strum][strum][strum]
Hi there Smiley.
I think the asbestos question is getting some good coverage from other posters here but are you sure this is the reason for the low price/good deal you’re looking at? Loads of older places have asbestos thrown into the deal and it doesn’t generally affect price.
If you have already done the rest of your homework on the place (including a professional building inspection) and all seems fair bar the asbestos then you simply have to weigh up the cost of your asbestos-related options. I’ve found that most building inspectors are happy to chat about options after they’ve been paid to inspect a place and, as has been pointed out in this thread already, you may not have to worry about it unless removal, renovation or demolition are on the cards.
Cheers,
Art‘Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.’ – Albert Einstein
Hi Wylie,
Every two years I have my lungs exrayed and he seems to check my glands.
I must admit I don’t know a whole lot about it, but I was sanding, sawing and filing.
I have two small kids and every time it comes up for my tests I hold my breath.
Regards
Frankmight depend on the character of other homes in the area – I am currentl looking at a deal with an asbestos roof -replacement cost is double that of normal.
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Hi All
Im new to this too and Im currently looking at a place to reno.
It was built in the eighties what are the chances of asbestos being in that?? Does anyone know when they stopped putting it in houses?
DK
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