# Forum Home Renovation Asbestos  Plasterboard over asbestos-How?

## Whitey1

I've searched and can't find much info on how to plasterboard over asbestos sheeting. Do you just glue it or nail or screw or what? I assume if I just nail it will crack up(am I wrong?) and drilling to use screws will produce dust not to mention blunt the drill bit in no time flat. Would rather leave it alone and cover it rather than remove the stuff although a lot of people would say get rid of it at all costs. 
Any thoughts?

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## ringtail

I think leaving it in place is fine. I would rather cover it with gyprock than have a house full of dust from removing it. Weather  its just dust from the wall and roof cavity or asbestos dust who knows. I just used heaps of glue and longer screws, put a bit of pressure on the scew and in they went ( into hardwood too.) As long as the paint is in good nick on the asbestos walls the glue will hold the sheeting fine. I even used a few roofing screws and pillows of gyprock, then removed the roofing screws and patched the holes once the glue had gone off.

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## PhilT2

Will face similar issues when I eventually get forced into doing the kitchen reno that the wife has been on about for a while now. Leaving the old asbestos in place is definitely the safest option but what would be the impact on future resale value? I wouldn't feel comfortable not telling a buyer, they could put their whole family at risk by drilling holes for something like downlights while their kids were standing around. 
I know, anyone with common sense would check first. But sadly common sense is not as common as it ought to be.

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## jago

Dont risk it get rid of Asbsetos where practicle. 
I believe that the Fedral Government are planning to make it a condition of House Sales that any known Asbestos within a building is notified by the Vendor at sale, if not liability will be the Vendors post sale.

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## ringtail

Unfortunately know one ( GOV) can ever or will ever get rid off all the asbestos in Australia. I dont think it will effect the sale prices of houses much if at all. People want the location, the house is just a bonus if it is what they desire. If they dont lie it they demolish it and rebuild. Certainly the case in Bris at the moment. Although, if the Gov paid for its removal everyone would be lining up. This is the only way they could hope to get close to being rid of it. I smell another industry rort coming on. Having had the product removed from your house, I wonder if you will then have to have a disclaimer saying that asbestos was removed from this site and in all likelyhood the dust ( which was harmlessly dormant) has been disturbed and has settled into every crack it can ? I'm all for covering it up, let sleeping dogs lie. Maybe a decent education campaign is needed instead of gov scare mongering.

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## PhilT2

People who have the money will be able to choose an asbestos free home but lower income families won't have the choice or the cash to pay for removal. While the sheeting is never likely to cause any problems if left alone I think that asbestos roofing is a risk. The govt paid to have this type of roof replaced in a number of schools across Qld, that seemed to go ok; no major stuff ups or rorting. Funny how the govt jobs that go smoothly don't get a lot of attention from the media. 
But there are still a lot of homes around with that type of roof. Constant weathering and the occasional hailstorm make sure there will always be asbestos fibres coming off them.
Some figures on asbestos related death.  The Killer Within : News : The University of Melbourne

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## jatt

> But there are still a lot of homes around with that type of roof. Constant weathering and the occasional hailstorm make sure there will always be asbestos fibres coming off them.

  Just look at all the large sheds (factories) that are roofed with the stuff. 
As far as I am aware, the only method of disposal at present is wrap and burial.  Like normal household garbage we cant just keep buring this stuff forever.  Eventially it will come back and bite someone in the ass.

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## ringtail

Totally agree on the roofing. It should be mandatory for those roofs to be replaced, even if the gov gives an interest free loan to the homeowner ( or something like that). The disposal is an absolute joke. Sure whoever removes it does the right thing in wraping it etc.. then it gets dumped on the ground, runover by a bulldozer to crush it up then pushed into a open pit, which once full of crushed asbestos, is then filled. Seen it happen and could believe it. Got out of there quick smart.

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## jago

> Totally agree on the roofing. It should be mandatory for those roofs to be replaced, even if the gov gives an interest free loan to the homeowner ( or something like that). The disposal is an absolute joke. Sure whoever removes it does the right thing in wraping it etc.. then it gets dumped on the ground, runover by a bulldozer to crush it up then pushed into a open pit, which once full of crushed asbestos, is then filled. Seen it happen and could believe it. Got out of there quick smart.

  That's exactley what they did with my 100m2  + of  asbestos, that had been carefully removed double wrapped watered down etc etc called the tip they charged $200 to dig a special pit when we got to tip they charged me the $450 fee made me drive the ute to the compactor ; told push it off the back mate which we duly did with some effort. Plastic split and asbestos started to spill out guy in compactor reved his engines and we got out of dodge as he began to crush it in! ... So why pay the fee and do the due diligence if the tossers at the tip just crush it in to the general landfill?!  :Yikes2:

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## ringtail

Its a total joke eh.

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## applied

ive done it, banana grip in a few spots and screwed straight into it the sheets. they hold screws nicely and thread straight in there's such a small amount of dust if any and it stays behind the new sheets anyway you would be worse off changing a set of brake pads on a old car. 
i am not trying to sound reckless and i have been through the whole remove whole sheet saturate break underwater wrap and dump. but some jobs are more dangerous to do than they will be to leave.

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## ringtail

Agree. Stupid thing is, some of the sheets are so long in some old houses they wont fit in the bin without been broken first.  I'd rather cover than disturb.

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## ghost911

is there any way to tell if our new plaster wall has asbestos behind it (ie. never removed)? 
I drilled through the plaster to put curtains. it went through the plaster pretty easily so I would say "no" but is there a way to check?

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## Bedford

> I drilled through the plaster to put curtains. it went through the plaster pretty easily so I would say "no" but is there a way to check?

   You would notice a difference in hardness as you drilled through the plaster into asbestos. 
If you were to turn off ALL switches at the switchboard, you could unscrew a power point, which would allow you to see if  there is asbestos behind the plaster.

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## ghost911

> You would notice a difference in hardness as you drilled through the plaster into asbestos. 
> If you were to turn off ALL switches at the switchboard, you could unscrew a power point, which would allow you to see if there is asbestos behind the plaster.

  
Brilliant idea Bedford, thanks!

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## Ayrt

On a semi-related note, we own a 50's built weatherboard house in QLD and are toying with the idea of getting all the internal fibro removed, mainly for resale value than anything else.  
My only concern, like others posted earlier, is that when removal occurs, I'd rather not have dust and crap settling in every nook and cranny! We'd probably look at putting the gyprock up ourselves afterwards and insulating at the same time. 
Does anyone have a rough idea of the removal and disposal cost per m2? I've searched the web, but can only find the "we'll come and quote for free". If it's going to cost a bomb, we'd rather not waste someones time coming out.

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## iconic

I think screwing it will not make too much dust in your home. We have already done that before and it only take for a 1 to 2 hours to clean the mess.

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## sundancewfs

I think the way to do it would be to use masonary adhesive ( for plaster board) and then use laminating screws to pull the plasterboard up tight onto the fibre sheeting. The screws should have no problems self cutting a hole.
Give it a try with a scrap of plasterboard in an area that isn't too visible first to see how it goes.

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