Older homes across Victoria carry a unique charm—high ceilings, solid timber, decorative features and layouts that newer builds rarely match. Yet beneath these appealing qualities, many of these homes hide asbestos in places that homeowners don’t expect. Families renovating, repairing or even cleaning older materials can unknowingly disturb asbestos and release microscopic fibres into the air. When those fibres travel, they pose long-term health risks that no homeowner should take lightly.
Understanding where asbestos hides, how disturbance happens and what practical steps families can take helps you stay ahead of the risks. With the right approach, you protect your home, your family and your peace of mind.
Why Older Victorian Homes Carry a Higher Asbestos Risk
Before the late 1980s, Australian builders used asbestos widely because it delivered strength, fire resistance and durability at a low cost. Homes in Melbourne, Bendigo, Ballarat and the surrounding regional areas still contain asbestos in many structural components. Unlike visible hazards such as mould or rot, asbestos stays hidden until someone drills, sands, cuts or tears into it.
Older weatherboard homes, post-war brick houses, fibro cottages, 70s renovations and even 80s extensions often contain asbestos in:
- Bathroom, laundry and kitchen wall sheeting
- Eaves, soffits and external cladding
- Roofing, gutters and downpipes made from asbestos cement
- Vinyl floor tiles and the black adhesive underneath them
- Fence panels in older backyards
- Hot water system insulation, pipe lagging and old ductwork
- Electrical switchboard backboards
- Garage and shed walls or roof sheets
Knowing this helps families make safer decisions long before they start a renovation.
How Everyday Household Tasks Can Disturb Asbestos
People assume asbestos becomes dangerous only when major renovation work begins. In reality, everyday tasks can disturb asbestos when the material is older, worn or already damaged. Something as small as drilling into a bathroom wall to hang a shelf, sanding a laundry surface, removing old lino or pressure-washing eaves can release fibres.
Other common triggers include:
- Pulling down broken fence panels
- Replacing old roof sheets
- Scraping flaking paint from older cladding
- Demolishing a built-in wardrobe
- Removing a heater flue
- Cutting into external walls for new plumbing or wiring
These small tasks add up. Homeowners often underestimate how easily asbestos dust spreads through a house—especially when a door or window is open, or when a vacuum redistributes fine particles into the air.
Step 1: Identify If Your Home Is Likely to Contain Asbestos
The safest starting point involves understanding the age and construction type of your home. If the house was built before 1990—or renovated during that time—there’s a strong chance asbestos remains somewhere in the structure. Even homes built in the early 1990s occasionally contain leftover stock from older building supplies.
Families can begin by checking:
- Council records for the original build date
- Renovation permits for past upgrades
- Areas where materials appear older, thicker or brittle
- Spaces where previous owners carried out DIY changes
While this first step offers clues, it doesn’t confirm anything. Visual inspections alone cannot reliably identify asbestos. That’s why testing becomes essential.
Step 2: Arrange Professional Asbestos Testing Before Any Work Begins
Testing gives families clarity. It replaces guesswork with facts and prevents accidental disturbance. A licensed asbestos professional collects small samples from suspected materials and sends them to a NATA-accredited laboratory for confirmation.
Testing matters because:
- It keeps homeowners safe
- It protects tradespeople working on the home
- It prevents contamination during renovations
- It ensures renovations stay compliant with Victorian regulations
Most importantly, testing helps families plan their projects without fear of surprise hazards.
Step 3: Do Not Disturb a Material If You Suspect It Contains Asbestos
If a material looks unusual, worn or questionable, the safest approach is simple: leave it alone. Disturbance releases fibres. Once fibres become airborne, they quickly travel and settle on clothing, bedding, carpets and furniture.
Until testing confirms safety, families should avoid:
- Drilling
- Sanding
- Cutting
- Scraping
- High-pressure cleaning
- Pulling up flooring
- Removing fixtures attached to older walls
This pause in action prevents exposure and gives professionals time to assess the situation.
Step 4: Keep Children, Pets and Visitors Away from Suspected Areas
Children and pets move unpredictably. They touch surfaces, drag toys, jump into nooks and carry dust on their clothes or fur. Keeping high-risk areas blocked off or closed makes a major difference.
Safe practices include:
- Closing internal doors to isolate suspicious rooms
- Using temporary barriers during renovations
- Storing tools outside the house
- Keeping pets away from outdoor asbestos such as fencing or shed walls
- Avoiding sweeping or vacuuming loose dust near older materials
These steps reduce how far fibres can travel until a professional arrives.
Step 5: Call Licensed Asbestos Professionals for Removal
If testing confirms asbestos, families should immediately engage a licensed asbestos removalist. These professionals follow strict Victorian regulations that control how asbestos is removed, contained and disposed of. They bring specialised equipment, protective clothing and negative-pressure systems that stop fibres from escaping.
Professional removal protects:
- Your family from airborne fibres
- Your neighbours from cross-property exposure
- Your home from long-lasting contamination
- Your renovation budget from costly clean-up mistakes
Safer removal always comes from trained specialists—not well-meaning DIY attempts.
Step 6: Maintain a Regular Inspection Schedule for Older Homes
Asbestos risks change over time. Weather exposure, ageing materials and old renovations shift the condition of asbestos components. This makes regular inspections valuable, especially in older homes.
A licensed professional can:
- Check previously safe areas for new damage
- Inspect materials that have deteriorated with age
- Review areas affected by leaks, storms or shifting foundations
- Confirm whether new renovation plans pose any new risks
For Victorian families planning long-term home improvement, scheduled inspections offer reassurance and guidance.
A Safer Future for Victorian Homes Begins with Awareness
Reducing asbestos risk doesn’t mean avoiding renovations or feeling anxious about every surface in your home. It simply means acting with knowledge and caution. When families understand where asbestos hides, how easily disturbance can occur and what steps keep everyone safe, the home becomes a far healthier environment.
Myers Asbestos Removal supports Victorian households with clear advice, professional testing and safe, compliant removal. With expert help, your older home remains a space your family can enjoy—without hidden dangers and without unnecessary stress.