Blackheath Asbestos Surprise
A 90 year old home, timber clad with a corrugated steel roof in the township of Blackheath; No asbestos in sight, a renovators dream.
Besides from some fibreglass insulation past it’s prime, the ceiling cavity looks pretty good with the steel roofing removed.
As most home owners are aware, sometimes little surprises become apparent when performing maintenance, repairs and remodels left behind by the previous owner/s.
This 3 bedroom home in Blackheath, Blue Mountains was undergoing a light extension with a new roof to mate the existing older structure with the new addition. Works proceeded without issue as the foundation and framework of the original structure were in fantastic condition for its age.
Identified by a keen eyed roof installer, there was an amount of fibrous asbestos cement sheeting fragments scattered around the original bathroom ceiling surface. Investigation found that sandwiched in between the modern gyprock ceiling and original lath and plaster was sheeting of asbestos.
The fragments and associated dust were a result of almost 100 years of bathroom renovations, careless contractors and a well used adjacent chimney stack which over time had rendered the cementitious board holding the asbestos fibres unstable.
Whilst concealed in the roof cavity, the asbestos fragments and dust pose a relatively low risk however with the roof cladding removed for renovations, the open air exposure to the workers on site and surrounding public becomes a high concern.
After remediation to remove the present asbestos fragments, sheeting and associated dust - it was found that inaccessible areas surrounding the original fire place had also been affected by asbestos contamination. Unable to remove the associated waste without complete destruction of the home, a bonding agent was applied liberally to the cavity and signage erected to notify workers in the future of the asbestos contained within the cavity. These works, whilst not granting a certified clearance certificate within entirety - were at least enough to enable works to proceed as scheduled and without delay.