Asbestos Removal: Where to Find It in Your House

There exist six varieties of asbestos, which are classified in two general groups (based on information from the Australian Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency). Serpentine group is the first, which consists of only one variety: white asbestos (chrysolite). The second group is termed amphibole, consisting of: brown/ gray asbestos (amosite), blue asbestos (crocidolite) tremolite, actinolite, and anthophylite.

To properly manage each variety, you need the services of a company that offers professional asbestos removal. You must also know exactly where it may be found in your house, so that you can prevent undue exposure to the harmful substance.

Where Is It Found In Your House?

Before the discovery of its harmful properties, asbestos was initially regarded as a very useful mineral with many favorable qualities, such as: tensile strength, flexibility, insulation against heat/ electricity, affordability and chemical inertness. This is why it was used extensively, between 1945 and 1980, in Australian construction and industry. Fortunately, it was phased out after 1980, then banned from most building products in 1989, and finally completely prohibited after 31st December 2003 (based on information from the Asbestos Diseases Society).

Due to the extensive use of asbestos in the past, there still remain components of the harmful substance in many Australians homes. The Australian Environmental Health Standing Committee (enHealth) reveals that building products that contain this harmful mineral have two broad classifications:

a) Friable:

These products are generally soft and quite loose. Using very light pressure, like crushing with your hand, such products will easily crumble into fine particles or dust. These products normally have the highest levels of asbestos content (up to 100%).

The asbestos in such products is loosely held, making it quite easy for dispersal through the air. For this reason, removal of such friable products must be handled by specialized personnel who possess proper training and equipment.

Various parts of the house in which friable products may be found, include: spray-on insulation/ soundproofing; loose fill roofing insulation; wood stove door gaskets; low-density fiber boards; backing material on floor tiles/ vinyl flooring; lagging on hot-water pipes/ stoves/ domestic heaters; coating on a decorative ceiling; heat-resistant fabrics; and brick/ plaster sealants.

b) Bonded:

These are solid, rigid and compact products. Such products are normally made using a bonding compound (usually cement), which is combined with a small portion of asbestos (typically, less than 15%). Since these products are quite compact, the asbestos contained in them cannot be easily released into the air.

Despite the fact that bonded products pose minimal threat when in good condition, appropriate safety precautions must be applied when handling them, especially when disturbed. The greatest risk is posed by damaged and badly weathered bonded products. To avoid taking such unwarranted risks, you must only hire professionals to remove such bonded asbestos products.

Most asbestos-containing products in houses are bonded products, which include: eaves; roofing; shingles/ siding; exterior/ interior wall cladding; fencing; water/ flue pipes; and thermal boards surrounding fireplaces.

A professional asbestos removal company can help identify any other areas in which asbestos may be found inside your house. Such a company will also have the best equipment and expertise to completely eliminate friable or bonded products.


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Wade Rogers offers useful insights regarding asbestos, which every homeowner needs to know. Take advantage of this information to safeguard your family and yourself. For professional removal services, you can visit http://asbestosremovalsydneywide.com.au/ .