Identifying asbestos before demolition

Q:    How do I know if the house I am about to demolish has asbestos products?

A:    The following list shows approximate dates when products ceased to be manufactured with asbestos fibre. Asbestos was slowly phased out and some products manufactured around these dates may contain amounts of asbestos: Hardiflex – 1981; Hardiplank – 1981; Villaboard – 1981;  Versilux – 1982;  Harditherm – 1984;  Compressed -1984;  Drain Pipe -1984;  Super Six – 1985;  Highline – 1985;  Shadowline – 1985;  Coverline – 1985;  Roofing Accessories – 1985; Pressure Pipe – 1987.  However, sampling and analysis of suspect material are the only way to verify the presence of asbestos. Suspect material should be regarded as containing asbestos until the results of analysis are available. Sampling of air and soil, as well as the suspect material, may be involved.

To find out more about identifying asbestos, see HIA Information Sheet Asbestos Identification.