Fibro homes are part of the furniture in Western Sydney. Drive through Blacktown, St Marys, Mount Druitt, Green Valley, Macquarie Fields or Fairfield and you will see plenty of them. Many were built after the war, when fibro was quick to put up and easy to get. A lot of it contained asbestos.

If you own one of these homes and you are thinking about knocking it down or renovating, here is what you need to know first.

Why fibro homes often contain asbestos

Fibro is short for fibrous cement sheet. For much of the last century, many of these sheets were made with asbestos mixed into the cement. Homes built before 1990 may contain asbestos, and fibro homes from the post-war decades are among the most likely.

Asbestos cement in good condition, left alone, is generally considered low risk. The danger comes when it is broken, cut, drilled, sanded or weathered, because that can release fibres into the air. Breathing those fibres is linked to serious diseases. That is why it matters so much during a demolition or renovation.

Where to look

In a fibro home, asbestos is not only in the external walls. Common places include:

External wall sheeting and gable ends
Internal wall and ceiling linings
Eaves linings, even on brick veneer homes
Bathroom, laundry and kitchen wet area linings behind tiles
The backing on old vinyl floor tiles and sheet vinyl
Corrugated roofing on the house, garage or shed
Flues, old fences and pipes

You cannot tell by looking. Fibro made after asbestos was phased out looks almost the same. The only way to know for sure is to have it tested.

Get a hazardous materials survey

Before you demolish or strip out an older building, get a hazardous materials survey. It identifies asbestos and other hazards, where they are and roughly how much there is.

This report is useful for everyone. It helps your demolition contractor plan and quote the job properly, it tells your builder what to expect, and it means nobody is surprised once the work has started.

What NSW law says

The rules in NSW are clear:

Over 10 square metres of bonded sheeting has to be taken off by a removalist licensed by SafeWork NSW.
Friable asbestos, the crumbly kind that releases fibres easily, always needs a Class A licence.
A Class B licence covers non-friable asbestos only.
The regulator has to get notice before any licensed job kicks off.

Fibro sheeting in reasonable condition is usually non-friable. Damaged, weathered or burnt fibro, and some materials like old pipe lagging, can be friable. The survey tells you which you have.

Before a demolition

On a knockdown rebuild, the asbestos has to come off before the house comes down. Putting an excavator through fibro walls breaks the sheeting into the rubble and contaminates the whole pile. That makes the job slower and more expensive, and it is a risk to everyone nearby.

The order is:

Hazardous materials survey
SafeWork NSW notified in advance
Asbestos removed by licensed removalists
Clearance inspection and certificate
Demolition of the rest of the house

That is how every one of our jobs runs, with licensed crews doing the asbestos part.

Before a renovation

Renovating a kitchen, bathroom or laundry in a fibro home? Test first. The walls behind the tiles and the floor under the vinyl are the usual spots. Do not start pulling off tiles or cutting sheets until you know what is there.

If asbestos is found, it is removed first and the area is cleared. Then the strip-out and renovation can go ahead safely.

Clearance certificates

Once the asbestos is off, the area is inspected. A licensed asbestos assessor checks friable jobs. An independent, competent person checks bonded sheeting jobs. When they are happy, they sign a clearance certificate, and the other trades can get back in.

Keep this certificate with your house records. Your builder, certifier or a future buyer may ask for it.

Where the asbestos goes

Asbestos can only be dropped at a site that is legally set up to take it. It is wrapped in heavy plastic and trucked there, and the EPA logs every load in WasteLocate. It never goes in a general rubbish skip, and it is never recycled.

What not to do

Do not drill, cut, sand or water blast fibro you think may contain asbestos.
Do not break it up to fit it in a bin.
Do not dump it.
Do not ignore storm or fire damage to a fibro shed or wall. Keep people away and get it checked.

Thinking about knocking down a fibro home?

Fibro homes come down across Western Sydney all the time. With the right order of work, the asbestos is dealt with properly and your block is ready for your new home. Fill in the quote form with your address, some pictures of the house and any asbestos report you have, and we will tell you plainly what the job looks like.

Asbestos in Fibro Homes: What to Know Before You Demolish or Renovate