Asbestos-cement cladding – damaged sheets/impact damage

Causes

Stones, balls, vehicles

Listed under: Exterior, health and safety, asbestos health and safety, cladding, walls, asbestos, wall cladding, asbestos-cement cladding

Cause

Stones, balls, vehicles

Repair

  • if you are not sure whether a fibre-cement cladding contains asbestos, you can get a small piece (about the size of two $2 coins, or approximately 2 x 3 cm) tested at one of the labs listed on our asbestos page
  • if the damage is only to the painted surface (the cladding is intact and asbestos fibres are not being or likely to be shed) wash down the cladding with a low pressure chemical wash and repaint. Do not sand and do not use a water blaster
  • where the asbestos fibre-cement is cracked, broken or otherwise damaged, repair or replacement with new fibre-cement cladding is possible so long as the repairs are minor and you are not removing more than 10m2 of the old cladding. When removing:
    • wear a disposable P2 mask and disposable overalls and gloves
    • try to keep the cladding intact – do not smash it up, use power saws or anything else that would lead to asbestos fibres becoming airborne
    • the removed asbestos-cement cladding must be sealed in bags or containers that are marked “Asbestos hazard” and disposed of at places approved by the local authority. Clean up carefully afterwards
  • if more than 10m2 of asbestos-cement cladding needs to be removed you will need to call in a licensed removalist. You can find a registry of licensed removalists on the WorkSafe New Zealand website.

Note that breathing in asbestos fibres can lead to serious and potentially fatal illnesses. Work with materials that contain asbestos is very strictly controlled. You can find more asbestos details for homeowners on the WorkSafe website.

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