The house we have just bought has had the battens removed years ago and replaced with asbestos roofing type sheets. It is in good condition and well painted on the outside. (Can’t remember if it is painted inside.)
We will probably raise this house as part of a “bigger picture” but this may be a few years away. We have a contact with a house raiser and could get free battens if we wanted to get rid of the asbestos sooner rather than later.
As I see it, we have two options –
1. Start gathering battens and when we have a houseful, get the asbestos removed and replace with the free battens (hubby will do this).
2. Wait until we decide to raise or move this house to remove the asbestos.
In either case, we would like to pay someone to do the removal properly so we lessen the chance of tenants or neighbours complaining (and rightly so).
In the past our PPOR asbestos roof was removed “properly” by roofers, who still just dropped the sheets to the ground where they lay smashed for days until they were put on a truck with a bit of plastic lining. It was a joke.
Does anyone have an idea of a ballpark figure for someone to remove the asbestos properly (rather than just using a token bit of plastic) or any other ideas?
Thanks, Wylie.
Hello Wylie,
The cost of the “proper removal” will depend on where you live and sometimes how far you are away from an approved licensed holding facility.
Unfortunately you are absolutely right it is expensive. But the hassle and potential health effects/liability are probably worth spending the money. Some unaccredited removalists will dump asbestos in wetlands and other unapproved sites and will not be extremely familar with the best safety equipment to use and therefore as you mentioned asbestos fibres will be left around the property.
Proper licensed removalists must be registered with the governing body in your state (in Western Australia it is the Department of Industries and Resources).
Sorry I couldn’t help with cost but having it removed properly is sop important when you are dealing with these types of fibres. Sorry for the lecture, I have had a lot of experience with asbestos and asbestos removalists and so I would always recommend being cautious when you are looking at cost vs. yours or your tenants health.
Good luck
KrsHI Wylie,
Marita here, mmm I like your question and I am not offering any help particularly, but to let you know that I am on a similar path with the asbestos situation, as in wanting to do demolishions and needing to know more about asbestos and perhaps getting a liscence to do it.
I’m going to make some serious inquiries about this subject in the next week, so I’ll keep you informed, I’m in Queensland and I don’t know if things are different in different states…anyway keep in touch.
Marita.
Hi guys.
My place has aspestos so l’ve spent mths looking into the angles . lt might help .
Most coucils allow you to remove it yourself using their guides – usually wetting it down , masks , no wind , plastic wrap , dumped properly ra ra . This led me to think it’s ok with care .
But , no one seems to know just how bad the stuff is they all say different things. So many builders and people worked with it for yrs without prob’s – but – some had probs or died , quite afew infact but the percentage is still quite low . lt can be very serious stuff so personally l’m treating it that way .
But if the panels are well below face hieght , with masks, wetting down , no wind and being carefull with dust , l feel it’s safe to remove yourself from what l’ve been told. lt should be wet on the inside to not only the outside as that’s where the dust is , make a gap and spray through as you go l’ve be told. The dust as well as breaking it with flying chips and more dust is where the danger is.
Do not cut with electric saw – more dust ! Alot do though, not me!
l have spoken lots of people about prices to and around 10 grand will get say a whole average house outside panels removed professionally . Some said you should have to go to a motel for a week if they are true pro’s or they should completely seal all work off .
lf you have a spare 10 grand , seems well spent on pro’s to do the job just to be safe to me .
A room or something , much less .
But – if they are lower panels that will pop of easily without much dust , with the proper gear and so on it sounds ok with care .
lf it’s a good wall that isn’t broken , just seal it with some good coats of paint and it’s fine , unless you need the wall gone for some reason . Or plaster over it .
Keep kids well away from all dust , it may take 40 yrs to effect them or you for that matter so you won’t know without the care .
Why not just slap a good coat of paint over it and wait till you raise the house , get it all done at once or a roof just leave until then.
The best l can offer l’m afraid , no one in three mths has really given me straight answers .
Cheers.
MkcHi Mkc. Thanks for that information. The sheets are well painted on the outside and in good condition. I can’t remember about the inside but I don’t think it is painted on the inside.
We have removed asbestos ourselves before (being extremely careful and with the children gone) but it scares me silly that someone could die because of our renovating.
I know the chances of being afflicted are fairly slim, but my uncle died from an asbestos related disease recently, and he was a builder, so he probably worked with it a lot before the general public knew its dangers.
The medical professionals have said that asbestos disease will be a big problem in coming years because of all the renovations happening.
I think we will probably leave it be until we do raise the house and then get quotes. Apart from not wanting to risk our health, I am also mindful of the public liability aspect.
Having said that, last time we painted our house, we paid considerably extra to have the sanding done with a special extractor sander because of lead content. Few months later, our elderly neighbour had her house sanded and painted with dust blowing all around and into our house. I shut everything up but queenslanders are not exactly airtight.
I just wish there was a way to ensure that these dangerous practices could be policed better so we could be safer. You can be as careful as you like and then have the idiot next door take the cheap way out and put you at risk.
Thanks for your info, I will do it the right way but maybe later rather than sooner, seeing it is in good condition.
Wylie.
We have to remove the asbestos panels on our old house before we knock it down and we have had a quote from a pro outfit for 2.5K
The laws have changed in the last couple of years and has to be done by qualified removers not the spivs.
Dave
Hi,
No idea of the cost….think you would have to get the guy’s out to look at the job.But tip’s for DIY.
1) Wet down or even better mix pva (bondcrete etc) with water and spray with a garden sprayer.
2) Try to punch the nails though and remove full sheets if poss.(It’s when you break the stuff them nasty little fibers get out)
3) Double .2 Gauge poly (type used in under slab construction)
on the truck or trailer, load sheets on top, wrap and seal with duct tape, and away to tip. Remember only wrap what you can pull/ slide off without riping the polly. But you can make as many pack as u will. Take big care, use extra polly on the bottem make tripple if you wish, remember the guy’s at the tip will get dirty with you if the packs are open or ripped.Must, must, must *P2 resperator and correct filters.*
A disposable overall is a good idea on top of old shorts and tshirt and when finished into a plastic bag and tip it with the assy.
For people in Melbourne, dunno if Tulla tip is still taking assy, but i think Eltham is ( better phone first)
Work safe is the regulator here in vic, so u may get more info from them.
Good luck.
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