# Forum Home Renovation Asbestos  Asbestos testing?

## scottenglefield

Hi All 
I think I may have an asbestos ceiling in my kitchen? Its definately not plasterboard, looks like a fibre type material. Its difficult to tell the age as the house is 100 yesrs old and would have been renovated since then, the only clues I have is the architrave is wood & the sheet joins have wood on them, like the outside of a traditional fibro house. 
Does anyone know of any test labs in australia where I can send off a sample to confrm or not if it is asbestos.  
Cheers 
Scott

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## finger

Here is a good place to start NATA 
The lowest price I have been quoted for a test is $38.50 per sample. Some places have quoted $90+ so it pays to ring a few testing facilities.

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## q9

pb.com.au is where I got mine done...

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## cherub65

Age of house would almost certainly be asbestos, can you check from above as sheets would have dimples on underside.
here a pretty informative site Removing Asbestos: A guide to asbestos removal in Australia

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## Bloss

Actually unless it has been renovated, which the kitchen might well have been, but not usually to replace a ceiling, the age of the house (100 yrs) suggests it would _not_ be asbestos - more likely horsehair reinforced plaster sheets. 
Asbestos sheeting was not used in any great quantities for internal linings until post WW1 and  took off in the depression and  especially in the 40s and 50s. 
Mostly used as shingles and sheets externally, but rarely prior to the 1929s as they were brittle and expensive - mostly imported. 
The thickness will be a clue - if you can see an edge somewhere or cut a mall piece out with a dry wall saw (using a good mask of course - even plaster dust is not good for you) - if the tip of the saw will not push in then it might be asbestos not plaster. Asbestos of that age will not be more than 6mm (1/4") and not all will be dimpled on one side (although most made from the 40s on would be). Plaster will be 10-12mm. 
A renovation postwar might also have seen them use 'canite' - a quite soft board made form sugar cane waste by CSR most people saw in pin boards, but often used to replace rusted metal ceilings or asbestos or failing plaster ceilings. The other renovator's product installed as you describe was 'masonite' - hardboard about the same thickness as asbestos 5-6mm, but light to dark brown and hard too. - a scratch with a screwdriver will show the colour. 
The main clue will be the hardness/ softness. Asbestos sheeting will be very hard and brittle. Plaster you should be able to push a screwdriver through with moderate hand pressure - not so with asbestos which if you tried would simply crack if you managed to get through at all. Canite you can mark with a fingernail and steel tool will push straight through. Masonite is midway - harder than plaster, softer than asbestos.

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## TheEngy

Does anyone know the cheapest place in victoria. 
I hate to say it but i used NATA before and got REALLY bad service.  I sent them a sample and they tested it, told me is was asbestos free, so i proceeded to remove the stuff from the floor. 
Shortly after I removed it I got a certificate in the mail saying it contained asbestos....  so I called them up and they said that it actually doesn't contain asbestos and the certificate is probably wrong. 
Needless to say i didn't pay them in the end, but to this day I don't know the real result, how can I trust them after giving me mixed results like that?

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## Bloss

Perhaps the _best_ rather the the _cheapest_ might be a better option.  :Smilie:  Victorian forum members will put you onto the right track I am sure. 
You should make sure your experience is documented and followed up. I am a little puzzled as I thought NATA provided accreditation and other services to testers - I wasn't aware they actually did testing for members of the public (labs that offer testing services should have NATA accreditation though).  :Confused:  
If you enter asbestos into the Search box at this link you will get a list of all accredited facilities: http://www.nata.asn.au/index.php/facilitiesandlabs 
If the lab you used was NATA accredited then you should notify NATA about your experience.

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## TheEngy

Okay, it was a couple of years ago but i did write everything down and keep notes of what happened.  Will double check who actually did it.

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## Kryssy

I'm from Perth and we used Analytical Reference Laboratory (Analytical Reference Laboratory).  They were professional, fast and provided detailed reports.  We had six samples tested for $363, which is a bit more expensive than the east coast.  The WA government lab was cheaper but didn't return phone calls and their opening hours made it difficult to drop off the samples. 
BTW, ARL is NATA accredited

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## Carl

It sounds as though the material could be a plasterboard type material with horse hair in it. Which would not contain asbestos; however you have mentioned that it is not plasterboard. 100 years old for a residential house it is becoming less likely that it contains asbestos. It cannot be certain however that the material is original. The material could have been part of a renovation.   The problem is that it is very difficult almost impossible for someone to conclusive determine whether it contains asbestos. Even experienced asbestos surveyors would be hard pressed to say for sure whether a material will contain asbestos without testing. http://www.safeenvironments.com.au/asbestos-testing/  Be careful about sampling material for testing. If it is a ceiling I would recommend wearing disposable cotton suit and a respirator as well as wetting down the sample. It may be wise to ask the testing lab if they will collect the sample for you to see if this might be a better option.  The best advice is to either send a sample in to be tested or more importantly get an asbestos surveyor in to have a look for you. Many times I have inspected a house only to find that the home owner was concerned about a low risk material and was fine, however in the process other materials than just fibro was identified. Many people are unaware of where asbestos can lurk  More information on asbestos testing can be found at:  http://www.safeenvironments.com.au/asbestos-check/  If you have any photos, I would be more than happy to provide some more advice. A picture is worth a thousand words

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