Fibrolite with 5-15% asbestos - would this be dangerous?

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turtleattacks

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#318590 1-Feb-2025 16:44

From the builder's report.

Soffits

Soffits approx. width varies from none up to 300mm and are painted fibrolite and timber. All appear in good condition at time of inspection.

Fibrolite products from the 50’s through to 90’s contained 5% to 15% asbestos.
No health risk unless cutting, grinding, or handling unpainted product. Keep well painted.
Removal and dumping of product should only be carried out by professional licensed companies.

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johno1234

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#3338094 1-Feb-2025 17:02

As the report says, it is perfectly safe unless it gets into your lungs which is impossible if you keep it painted and don't go turning it into dust by breaking, cutting, drilling or grinding it.

As I understand it, it requires long term exposure to ramp up the risks too. A one-off exposure is unlikely to lead to asbestos related illnesses.

cddt

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#3338095 1-Feb-2025 17:02

Asbestos was in many products for the better part of a century. The key part is "No health risk unless cutting, grinding, or handling unpainted product. Keep well painted." If you can keep it maintained, it'll be safe for a long time. If you start demolishing it, then that's another story.

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pih

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#3338099 1-Feb-2025 18:10

As above. A significant proportion of houses (most of them?) from that era had some form of asbestos, in fibrolite panels, textured ceilings, concrete, vinyl, roofing products and more.

While no level of exposure to asbestos dust can categorically be called "safe", as above just take precautions while renovating and avoid creating any dust from those products. If you notice broken panels etc, giving them a lick of paint will stop the broken fibres from becoming airborne.

Bung

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#3338132 1-Feb-2025 20:11

turtleattacks:

From the builder's report.

Soffits

Soffits approx. width varies from none up to 300mm and are painted fibrolite and timber. All appear in good condition at time of inspection.

Fibrolite products from the 50’s through to 90’s contained 5% to 15% asbestos.
No health risk unless cutting, grinding, or handling unpainted product. Keep well painted.
Removal and dumping of product should only be carried out by professional licensed companies.

When was house built? Soffit widths in range 0 to 300mm seem relatively recent.

Rickles

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#3338183 2-Feb-2025 09:56

My daughters previous house had fibrolite soffits ....nearer 400mm as I recall.

Was loose in a couple places but the builder used a staple gun that had staples covered in glue that apparently sealed with the heat generated by the staple-gun. Painter then recoated that length of soffit panel.

Building inspector gave it the A+ repair tick.

tweake

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#3338195 2-Feb-2025 12:03

as above.

its not really an issue unless you start renovating. removal of the products is where things get interesting as proper disposable adds to the cost.

the non-asbestos fibrolite started in the mid-late 80's, tho there could have been old stock being used for a number of years after that.

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richms

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#3338199 2-Feb-2025 12:14

Just be aware that non asbestos doesn't mean no asbestos, it just means its weaker like the non asbestos ones but may still come back for trace amounts of it. Still need to test it and there could be a variety of products in use across the property. I found that some of my eaves were the hard asbestos stuff, some were the floppy stuff but they took them away as asbestos anyway since they were here and doing the others, and some were actually hardboard which I don't know what the hell the builder was thinking using as eaves, but they have held up ok so far.

Richard rich.ms

Bung

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#3338212 2-Feb-2025 13:04

Hardies started making some fibre cement panel products in 1981 using cellulose and had stopped asbestos panel products by 1985. Fibre cement pipes contained asbestos until 1987. There was an oil tempered hardboard impregnated with linseed oil. As Weatherside on walls it was a failure but would probably last as a soffit lining.

Rickles

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#3338215 2-Feb-2025 13:19

Daughter's previous home was build in 1960's.