How to determine whether wall board is asbestos?

[Vittorio]

Hey guys,

I was stripping the wall and I've noticed these type of board holding the water taps. Is this asbestos? 

The house was built in 2001.

[EricL]

Hello @Vittorio 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about your laundry.

It appears to be waterproofing, or it could be blue board which is resistant to damage from moisture, rot, termites and fire when installed and maintained correctly. But just to be sure, I propose having your walls tested for asbestos. If the results are positive, you'll need to engage the services of an asbestos removal specialist. If the result are negative, you can then continue with your laundry renovations.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[JacobZ]

Hi @Vittorio,

I just wanted to add that it's unlikely that asbestos was used in an Australian home built in 2001, though the possibility isn’t entirely zero.

Asbestos was officially banned in Australia on 31 December 2003, so any home constructed after that date should be completely free of asbestos-containing materials.

However, because the ban occurred after a gradual phase-out through the 1990s, there remains a small chance that leftover or imported materials containing asbestos may have been used during construction in the early 2000s, particularly in areas like eaves linings, garages, or certain adhesives and fibre cement products.

That said, the risk is very low if your home was built using reputable materials and contractors.

If you’re planning to renovate, drill, or disturb building materials and want peace of mind, it’s always safest to have suspect materials tested by a licensed asbestos assessor.

You can learn more about asbestos in Australian homes and how to identify or manage potential risks by visiting the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency website.

Jacob