Where is asbestos found in Australian homes? A room-by-room map
Most homes built before the 2004 ban hold some. Here is where it tends to hide, and why the age of the house is the first thing to check.
In an Australian home built before the end of 2003, asbestos is most likely in the roof, the eaves, the wet areas, the walls and the floors. Bonded cement sheet is the usual form. Friable material such as old insulation is rarer but far more serious.
Start with the age of the house
Age narrows the odds faster than anything else. Houses built before the mid 1980s are the most likely to contain it. Those built between then and the end of 2003 may still have some. After the ban, new homes should be free of it, though reused and imported material is a small exception.
The age tells you the odds, not the answer. Only a sample analysed by a NATA-accredited laboratory confirms what a material is.
Outside and overhead
Roofs are the big one. Corrugated cement sheet and some tiles are common, and our guide to asbestos in roofs shows what to look for. Eaves and soffit lining are often the same flat sheet, and so are fascias and gable ends. Gutters, downpipes, flue pipes and fences made from cement sheet round out the list.
Sheds and old garages deserve a second look. They were often clad in leftover sheet.
Wet areas and walls
Bathrooms, laundries and kitchens used flat sheet behind tiles and under wet surfaces because it tolerates moisture. Some internal walls and ceilings used the same boards, sometimes with a joint strip or a textured coating over the top. Paint can make it impossible to tell from plain plasterboard.
Floors and the hidden layers
Old vinyl tiles, sheet vinyl with a paper backing and the adhesive under them can each contain it. Underlay beneath carpet is another candidate. Because these layers sit under newer flooring, people find them mid-renovation.
Insulation and lagging
Loose-fill insulation in ceiling spaces is the famous Australian case, and it is friable. Pipe wrap and old boiler or hot water lagging can be too. If you see loose, fluffy or crumbling material in a roof space, leave it alone and treat it as compatible with asbestos.
What to do with this map
Do not go hunting. Nothing here means a house is unsafe while the material is intact and left alone. The risk comes when someone cuts, drills, sands or breaks it, so plan renovation work around the map before a tool is picked up.
If you want a structured next step, use the is it asbestos? evidence check. For a single material you are holding, is this asbestos? is the closer fit. Your state WHS regulator can tell you who to call.
Frequently asked questions
Where is asbestos most commonly found in a house?
Roofs, eaves and soffits, wet area walls, ceilings, vinyl floors and their backing, fences and old sheds. Houses built before the end of 2003 are the ones to be careful with.
Can I tell by looking whether a material contains asbestos?
No. Many asbestos products look the same as modern ones, and paint hides the surface. Only a sample analysed by a NATA-accredited laboratory can confirm it.
Is a house built after 2004 safe from asbestos?
New homes should not contain it, because the ban took effect at the end of 2003. Reused or imported material is a small exception, so unusual older items are worth checking.
Do I need to remove asbestos from my home?
Not necessarily. Intact bonded material that is left undisturbed is often managed in place. Your state or territory WHS regulator can advise on the right approach.
Sources
What this page explains is based on these official sources. If you check one and it does not match what you read here, send it to us and the article gets corrected.
- Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency. Asbestos Product Guide. What products contained asbestos and where they were used
- NSW Government. Asbestos in NSW. The NSW Government asbestos portal
- National Association of Testing Authorities. Accredited laboratories. The accreditation body whose analysis identifies asbestos