Even though our house was build prior to the widespread use of asbestos materials, the mid 1960's renovation meant that asbestos was widespread throughout the house. In keeping with the 60's style, many of the lovely T&G walls had been covered with asbestos sheeting, the kitchen was full of asbestos, and the two extensions to the house (the verandah and bathroom / toilet) were both completely made from asbestos material.
Asbestos is a taboo word. Yet, for any renovator of a house built prior to the 1990's in Queensland, it's more than likely a fact of life. My advice, get a good asbestos removal contractor and just bite the bullet and get rid of as much as possible. We had an excellent contractor who did a great job in about two weeks and our house is now completely asbestos free.
The only downside, was that after the contractor had removed all the asbestos, the two extensions etc there was very little of the house left! While we had tried to save a bit of money and remove some of the non-asbestos material ourselves, e.g. the standalone carport, timber front deck and vinyl flooring, it is best to get the experts advice on what you can remove yourself, and what should be left for those wearing masks and radiation suits!
At this stage, we handed over the project to the builder and so began the house lifting.
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| Putting up temporary fencing as the demolition works now constituted a building site |
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| Southern side of the house after the asbestos bathroom and toilet were removed |
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| Removing the pine front deck - something we did ourselves |
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| Pulling down the carport |
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| Removal of the asbestos ceilings. Truly open plan now! |
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| Removal of asbestos gables. Note termite damage on far wall and roof joist. |
Asbestos can be a scary thing. I can understand why it would be a taboo word. They have to be so careful when they remove it so they don't breathe it in. That's why they wear those suits and masks that look like they are going into a fallout zone. You can never be too careful when it comes to your health. http://www.asbestop.com.au/removalservices
ReplyDeleteIt's bad luck for a home to have as much asbestos as your did. Sometimes lucky homeowners can get away with just a little renovation. I think it was smart of you to take it all out, though. You just don't want to risk anything when it comes to asbestos. http://www.advancedremediationsolutions.ca
ReplyDeleteAsbestos removal definitely seems like something best left to the pros, at least to me. I remember when my parents renovated their last home and found a ton of asbestos. They thought about doing it themselves, but ultimately decided it just wasn't safe. I'm hoping that as I look into renovating my home I don't encounter the same problem. It was built in the 80s though, so I'm more than a little concerned.
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nice article, using great equipment to renovate a house will fasten your work, besides it will produce you with smooth result!
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