Renovation Time

There are some standard guidelines that can help you determine whether your house would be likely to contain some building products that have asbestos fibres in them. These guidelines are based on the years asbestos products were manufactured and the age of your home. So, as a general rule, if your house was built: 

• before the mid-1980s- it's highly likely that it has asbestos-containing products
• between the mid-1980s and 1990-it is likely that it has asbestos-containing products

With this info in mind, please remember that there is always a chance that asbestos-containing products could have been used in your home if it was built prior to December 2003-the time that the total ban on manufacture, reuse, use, import, transport, storage or sale of all forms of asbestos came into effect. 

Building products that contain asbestos can be found in many locations around your home. By far the most common asbestos-containing materials that you will find in your homes are of the non-friable variety-those that are bonded into solid panels. 

These products are likely to be used for: 

• roofing 
• exterior and interior wall cladding 
• eaves 
• fences 
• shingles & siding (villaboard and similar) 
• thermal board around fireplaces 
• water and flue pipes 
• backing of electrical boards 

Have a look at a great diagram on the Asbestos Awareness website to see all the places you are likely to find asbestos in your home. 

The only way to know for sure whether a building product contains asbestos fibres is to get it tested by an accredited testing facility. For information about how to find one of these facilities near you, have a look at the Find a Professional section.

No, you don't. If you want to remove a small amount of asbestos (under 10sqm) as part of a minor renovation, or because it is damaged, then you do not need approval. But remember, we strongly encourage you to use a licensed contractor for any asbestos removal, and if the quantity is greater than 10 square metres in area, then you MUST use a licensed contractor. 

Please seek advice from your Council. Generally speaking, if you intend to remove asbestos cladding to replace it with an alternate cladding without modifying the structure of the dwelling, then you do not need approval. 

Even though you don't need approval from your local council to conduct these works, you will need to engage a licensed contractor to do the removal work as the quantity will exceed 10 square metres (unless you have a seriously tiny house!). 

For more information about these requirements, give your local council a call. 

Please seek advice from your Council. For this type of work, we strongly encourage you to use a licensed contractor - removing the asbestos is hazard enough without adding working up high on a roof to the mix! And remember, if the quantity is greater than 10 square metres in area, then you MUST use a licensed contractor 

If the fence is a typical 1.8 metre complaint fence then you do not need any formal approval to remove/replace it. If the fence is a structure that would have required approval to build - that is, it is not a standard height etc - then you do not need approval to remove/replace it.

Keep in mind that matters involving boundary fences sometimes tend to create an amount of angst between neighbours, so it's a great idea to discuss any removal or replacement of fences with your neighbours prior to commencement.  

We always recommend that you use a licensed contractor to remove any amount of asbestos; however, the true answer is-it depends on the quantity!

Less than 10 square metres

While Council's recommendation is that you should never remove asbestos-containing materials without the help of a licensed contractor, the reality is that people do it, and if the area of asbestos sheeting is less than 10 square metres, then technically you are allowed to do so. This allowance is in place, so the owner of a property is able to conduct minor repairs and renovations too sections of their property that are unlikely to affect the broader community. There are many safety precautions you need to follow to ensure the removal work is conducted in a way that minimises exposure to asbestos fibres. For more information about how to protect yourself, have a look at SafeWork NSW

Visit the Find a Professional section to find a licensed contractor near you.

More than 10 square metres

If the area of asbestos that you need to remove is greater than 10 square metres, then the answer is no - you are not allowed to remove it yourself! For such quantities you must get a licensed contractor to do the work. That's the rules! For information about how you can find a licensed contractor near you, visit the Find a Professional section.

No you are not! The removal of friable asbestos cannot be conducted safely without the use of specially designed equipment that only licensed professionals have available. It is not possible for a homeowner to remove any quantity of friable asbestos in a safe manner (not even quantities less than 10 square metres), so you simply must get some help! For advice on how to locate a licensed professional near you, visit the Find a Professional section.

If you have less than 10 square metres of non-friable asbestos that you want to remove yourself, you will need the right gear to ensure you, and your family are safe during the removal process. Here is a list of the main things you will need to get your hands on, all of which should be available at your local hardware store: 

• breathable, disposable coveralls
• P2 mask with respirator (P2 refers to the Australian standard and is required as a minimum for asbestos removal)
• disposable boot covers
• black plastic, at least 2mm thick (enough plastic wraps up the quantity of asbestos removed) 
• disposable safety gloves 
• dust-wipe rags 
• 1L water spray bottle with trigger 
• asbestos warning sticker-to stick on the asbestos pile once it's all wrapped up
• fibre-bonding or dust-binding solutions, or similar sealant-500ml, and spray bottle to put it in. 

The simple answer is no, you cannot! It is illegal to reuse asbestos-containing products in a way. Once removed, asbestos containing products must be disposed of a licensed waste disposal facility. 

The safest way to remove any quantity of asbestos is to get an appropriately licensed professional to come and do the work for you. Pretty simple! 

However, if you have under 10 square metres of asbestos sheeting and you make the decision to do the removal work yourself, then you must wear the right protective gear and then get familiar with a long list of DONT's!

Don't drill it, don't cut it, don't drop it, don't sand it, don't saw it, don't break it up, don't scrape it, don't scrub it, don't dismantle it or waterblast it. Phew, that's quite a list!

There is a lot more info about this on the    website, so you have a look at this site to make sure you have all the information you need before you get going. 

And remember, if the quantity of asbestos you have to remove is greater than 10 square metres, then you have to get a licensed asbestos removal contractor to do the work for you - that's the safest way, and that's the rules!

If you need to remove more than 10 square metres of asbestos, the licensed contractor you get to do the work should take care of the disposal for you.

But if you have removed a small amount of asbestos-containing material on your own (less than 10 square metres) you will need to figure out how to lawfully dispose of it. Below is some information that might help. 

Definitely not! We know that this option is tempting from a convenience point of view, but did you know that most councils in Sydney now have their rubbish bins tipped into a sorting facility, where, at times, workers manually sort through your rubbish? Adding asbestos to your garbage or recycling bins puts many unsuspecting people's lives at risk, so please don't do it! 

From a legal point of view, placement of asbestos in your household garbage bin is an offence. By doing so, you are breaking the law; specially the Protection of the Environment Operations (Waste) Regulation 2005. 

Definitely not! It is never OK to place pieces of asbestos in any public place, including out on the footpath as part of a Council Clean Up. In doing this, you are placing Council staff and innocent people passing by at risk, as well as facing a hefty fine yourself!

If you have a small quantity of asbestos to dispose of, you are allowed to transport it to a licensed facility. It should be wrapped in thick builder's plastic, separate from other wastes, and should only be moved in a covered, leak-proof vehicle. 

For more information about transporting asbestos, have a look at the SafeWork NSW website. 

The only way to lawfully dispose of asbestos is to transport it to a waste management facility that is licensed to accept it. Not all disposal facilities in Sydney are allowed to receive asbestos, so just to save you calling them all, below is a list of the ones who will take it for you. Always contact the facility beforehand to find out if there are any special requirements for delivering asbestos to the site. They will all want it wrapped and labelled, but some will only accept it at certain times of the day, and some will need you to give some notice. 

Visit the EPA for a list of NSW waste facilities that accept household asbestos. 

You can try calling some asbestos removal/disposal companies operating in the area where you live. They are sometimes happy to swing by (when they are on their way to the tip with another load of asbestos) and add your small quantity to the pile. They will usually charge a small amount for this service but is it often less than the minimum charge applied by disposal facilities and spares you the concerns associated with transporting the material. 

You can also hire an 'Asbestos Only' skip bin, however, for the small amount you are allowed to remove (under 10 square metres), this may be an expensive way to go! 

In the past, it was not uncommon for asbestos waste to be buried in backyard throughout Syndey. If you happen to find an odd piece, wet it down (from a distance) and, wearing gloves, place it in a sturdy plastic bag and tie it off. Place the bag in a sealed bucket or container out of harm's way. It is illegal to place this waste in your garbage bin. 

It will need to be disposed of in the manner addressed in the questions above. That is, at a disposal facility licensed to accept it or by paying a licensed contractor to take it away for you. 

If you are a resident of Cumberland Council, you can contact us, and we will collect the material as part of our free asbestos collection service. To find out more ring Council on 8757 9000.

Sorry, this is not something we can help you with. You will need to contact an appropriately licensed professional to undertake th removal of this asbestos. Council staff are not trained in asbestos removal, nor can we be responsible for the removal of asbestos from private properties. 

We offer a small-scale 'collection' service (only once material has been removed from a structure), but this is only for non-friable quantities under 10 square metres and does not include contaminated soil. 

Definitely not! If you end up removing a small amount of asbestos as part of a minor renovation, you cannot add the material to a skip bin you have hired for the remaining construction and demolition waste. There are lots of reasons why not! Here are a few: 

• The skip may be taken to a facility not licensed to receive asbestos.
• By adding asbestos, all waste in the skip will be classified as special/hazardous waste, and therefore you will be charged as if the whole load is asbestos (you don't want to pay for heavy construction demolition waste at the asbestos gate fees-they are much more expensive than tipping clean construction and demolition waste).
• The potential to recycle the remaining construction and demolition waste is eliminated by adding asbestos to the skip- the entire load is contaminated and no recycling will occur. 
• By placing asbestos in a skip bin, you are placing staff who are involved in the collection and processing of the waste within the skip at risk. 

Skip bins can be hired solely for the purpose of collecting asbestos. You should never mix asbestos with any other waste material. 

Cumberland City Council offers small scale asbestos collection service (for residents only) with collections scheduled periodically throughout the year. For more information about this service, give us a call on 8757 9000. 

The best place to look is the SafeWork NSW website, because it contains a list of companies that hold current asbestos removal licenses. It is really important that the company you select is appropriately licensed to do the work for you, giving you the peace of mind that you can trust them to complete the work for you in accordance with all the relevant guidelines and in the safest manner for you, your family and local community. 

If you have another question, we haven't been able to answer here, have a look at the info on offer from these great organisations. 

Asbestos Awareness - This is a great site with heaps of general info about asbestos, as well as a great diagram showing you where you are likely to find asbestos in your home.

Bernie Banton Foundation - This site offers comprehensive health related information, as well as some general advice about asbestos and support services available.