Drilling into wall

augmentinduoforte · Aug 25, 2023 6:01 am

Hey team,

Am settling in a house that was built prior to 1950s.
I read somewhere that Aussie houses built prior to 1970 almost always have some form of asbestos.

This might sound like a silly question but I was thinking of drilling the wall to install hooks or mount a TV or a shoe cabinet.
Wondering if this is safe or whether I should avoid this?

Thanks!

Ashington Homes · Aug 25, 2023 9:30 am

augmentinduoforte

Hey team,

Am settling in a house that was built prior to 1950s.
I read somewhere that Aussie houses built prior to 1970 almost always have some form of asbestos.

This might sound like a silly question but I was thinking of drilling the wall to install hooks or mount a TV or a shoe cabinet.
Wondering if this is safe or whether I should avoid this?

Thanks!

Asbestos was typically used in eaves, under bathrooms and laundries, around the meter box and for external cladding.

I have never come across asbestos being used on internal walls, however I could be wrong and maybe to be safe you could get some advice from an asbestos company in your local area.

cheers

Simeon

building-expert · Aug 25, 2023 11:05 am

One of my houses has asbestos cement sheeting as internal wall lining everywhere, so be careful. Temporary unscrewing of a power point on a wall will enable you to see what is wall lining material.

Ashington Homes · Aug 25, 2023 11:31 am

building-expert

One of my houses has asbestos cement sheeting as internal wall lining everywhere, so be careful. Temporary unscrewing of a power point on a wall will enable you to see what is wall lining material.

Thanks for clarifying that. I have never seen it in our areas but it was obviously used to save money in some places.

have a great Friday

Cheers

Simeon

chippy · Aug 25, 2023 5:34 pm

If the internal lining is asbestos you can tell instantly because the walls won't be flushed.
The joints of asbestos always have a joining trim or have timber beads over the joins.
Often the wet areas would be asbestos and the remainder of the house was plaster glass.

building-expert · Aug 26, 2023 9:18 am

I use Tramex moisture meter and it will tell me instantly if the wall is cement sheet or plaster or masonite but most people dont have the equipment.