Asbestos in Buildings

Asbestos can typically be found in the following places in New Zealand houses:

• Textured surfaces – stipple ceilings, walls, textured paint
• Lath and Plaster – walls and ceilings
• Cement Sheets – under the eaves (soffits), cement sheet cladding
• Lino – including the backing material and the glue it is stuck down with
• Super Six roofing material – under the ceiling and possibly in the soil around the house
• Fuse boards and around fuse boards

Asbestos can be found in many other places in a house; however, these are the most likely places you can expect to find asbestos in a house built before the year 2000.

The material above can represent no risk to people if it is in good condition and is not disturbed.  As soon as it becomes disturbed, it can give rise to airborne fibres which become a risk.