Browse the WorkSafe website, and you’ll find a long list of products known to contain asbestos and where they can be found on the average property. Reading this information can be overwhelming, especially when you own a property that was built or renovated when asbestos-containing materials (ACM) were used in abundance.

The average homeowner might not know how to identify potential hazards, but you can learn more about asbestos in construction wood products below. The more you know, the more confident you can be in the renovation decisions you make for your property.

Window and Door Mouldings

Window and door mouldings on homes built between the 1940s and 1990s might look like innocent wood products. In some cases, they are. But there’s also a chance your property’s door, window, cornice, and joining strip mouldings all contain asbestos.

In most cases, asbestos-containing mouldings have plain or rounded edges. They might also have louvre blades. Sometimes, round nails are visible on the strip just above the surface. Pay attention to your moldings if you suspect your property might contain asbestos. Asbestos testing is the best way to confirm whether it’s asbestos-containing.

Cladding Materials

We’ve always had many house cladding options at our disposal. Today, we can build our homes from brick, metal, wood, composite materials, stone veneer, and more. Builders in past years could also choose from many options. The problem is that many of these cladding materials contained asbestos.

Builders and homeowners often preferred asbestos cladding because it was easy to install and affordable. The sheets also didn’t need to be painted and were seen as fireproof. In most cases, large sheets of asbestos cladding were butt-jointed or moulded to form joints. They were then fixed directly to a house’s framework, with vertical joints covered in timber mouldings or asbestos cement.

Asbestos cladding materials are typically easy for asbestos removal experts to identify. However, asbestos testing can also help you confirm.

Soffits

Soffits are building materials that protect your property’s rafters. They can be both practical and aesthetic. Most soffits our homes have today consist of wood, composite materials, and aluminium. However, many soffits in past years were asbestos-containing fibre cement. It was preferred for how lightweight it was, its strength, and its affordability. Asbestos soffits were also easy to cut and required minimal preparation.

We now know that asbestos soffits in poor shape can be a health hazard. If your soffits are in poor condition and require replacement, consider asbestos testing to protect your family’s health before renovations get underway.

Ceiling Tiles

Asbestos ceiling tiles were once popular in homes because they were lightweight, easy to cut, and required minimal preparation. In essence, they were a builder’s dream! Now, they’re a homeowner’s nightmare.

Asbestos-containing ceiling tiles in excellent condition pose minimal risk to homeowners. However, they can become problematic when the time comes to undertake home renovations. By talking to your local asbestos removal business, you can determine whether encapsulation or removal is the best option for you.

Fibre Cement Cladding

There are so many fibre cement cladding products on the market that it’s hard to know whether your home’s cladding contains asbestos or not. Of course, asbestos testing is always the easiest and most effective way to know if it does.

In saying that, it can be a good idea to look for some of the following Asbestos brand names on your property’s consent documents:

• Durotherm

• Shadowline

• Hardiflex

• Hardiplank

• Villaboard

• Fibrolite

• Durock

• Coverline

• Highline

• Versilux

• Tilux

• Harditherm

What Are My Options for Asbestos in Construction Wood Products?

Learning that your property contains asbestos can be disheartening. You know this material is dangerous, and you likely don’t want it anywhere near your property. Fortunately, you have plenty of options for what you do next. Your local asbestos removal team might recommend some of the following courses of action:

Leaving It

If your asbestos-containing construction wood products are in good condition and you don’t intend on disturbing them during a renovation, they will most likely be okay to leave in place. Keep them well-maintained, and they likely won’t pose a danger to your health.

Encapsulating It

Some asbestos-containing materials pose more of a risk to remove than to keep in place. If you’re undertaking renovations, talk to your local asbestos removal experts about encapsulating the asbestos. This involves putting new building materials over the top of asbestos.

Removing It

Removal can be your only option if asbestos is in poor condition and can’t be safely left alone or encapsulated. You may remove asbestos yourself if it’s non-friable and up to 10m2. However, if it’s larger or friable, this must be carried out by licensed asbestos removalists in NZ.

Make Informed Asbestos Decisions Today

Not everyone knows what to do when they identify asbestos in construction wood products. Now that you know where to find it, you can make decisions for your property that prioritise health, safety, and your renovation goals.