Asbestos has been used in over 3,000 different products and a lot of these products have been used to build houses.
Approximately one third of all homes in Australia contain asbestos products.
If your house was built before 1990, it is likely to contain some asbestos-containing materials, particularly in the kitchen and bathroom areas. There are many other places in the home where asbestos-containing materials can be found including (but not limited to):
- roofing and gutters
- gables and eaves
- downpipes
- walls and ceilings
- vinyl, carpet and tile underlay
- lining behind wall tiles
- imitation brick cladding
- fencing
- splashbacks in wet areas
- electrical meter backing boards
- telecommunications pits
- window putty
- expansion joints
- packing under beams
- concrete formwork
- outbuildings
Getting a sample tested is the only way to find out and be certain if something contains asbestos.
Useful resources
The Asbestos Awareness website has an image gallery of where asbestos could be found in your home.
