Most asbestos-containing materials in your home are safe if they're in good condition and unlikely to be damaged or disturbed. However, asbestos poses a serious health risk if damaged, weathered or worked on.
Types of asbestos
- friable asbestos material when dry it can be crumbled, pulverised or reduced to a powder in the hand.
- non-friable asbestos material when dry it cannot be crumbled, pulverised or reduced to a powder by hand pressure. It is mixed with cement or other bonding materials and is also known as bonded asbestos.
Non-friable asbestos can become friable asbestos if the asbestos is damaged or old.
What to do if you find asbestos
If your house was built before 1990, it probably has asbestos-containing materials. Asbestos materials in and around the home are often best left alone if they are in good condition and unlikely to get damaged.
If you are thinking about renovating or doing home maintenance, read the Homeowners and Tenants Fact Sheet (PDF, 345KB) or visit https://www.asbestos.nsw.gov.au/ before you start.
To remove any amount of friable asbestos, or more than 10 square metres of non-friable asbestos from your home, the asbestos removal contractor that you engage must be licensed.
Visit www.asbestos.nsw.gov.au for more information.