North Melbourne’s older terraces, converted warehouses and mid-century units often hide asbestos in eaves, wet areas and floor finishes—especially after multiple renovations.
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We visually assess eaves and soffit linings, joints and fixings for materials consistent with asbestos cement sheeting. These areas are frequently disturbed during repainting, gutter replacement, and roofline repairs—common jobs on North Melbourne’s older housing stock.
We look for indicators of asbestos cement sheet, older flat sheeting, textured coatings and patchwork that suggests earlier linings remain underneath. This is important before cutting penetrations for split systems, downlights, exhaust fans or new cabinetry.
Wet areas in pre-1990 buildings often used asbestos-backed sheeting and older substrates around baths, showers and splashbacks. We identify likely ACM locations and note condition, as damaged or repeatedly drilled wet-area linings can increase the risk of fibre release.
We check for older vinyl tiles/sheet vinyl, underlay remnants and black bituminous-type adhesives that can be associated with asbestos-containing products. This is crucial if you’re planning to strip floors, polish concrete, or re-level surfaces in North Melbourne renovations.
We inspect accessible sheds, garages, carports and older fencing panels for asbestos cement materials and weathering. These structures are common in inner-suburban blocks and are often cut, replaced or demolished during extensions and site upgrades.
We look around penetrations for plumbing, flues and older service entries, plus meter box surrounds where asbestos cement was historically used. Identifying these early helps electricians and plumbers plan safe access routes and avoids uncontrolled drilling or grinding.
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Get Visual Asbestos Survey as part of a comprehensive inspection package
Find answers to the most frequently asked questions about our inspection service.
In North Melbourne, we frequently see suspect materials around external eaves and soffits, wet-area wall linings, older vinyl flooring systems, and outbuildings like sheds and garages. Renovations can also conceal older sheeting behind newer plasterboard. A Visual Asbestos Survey focuses on accessible areas and highlights where asbestos is most likely so you can plan testing or controls before any cutting, sanding or demolition.
A visual survey identifies materials that look consistent with asbestos-containing products based on age, appearance, location and typical building methods. It does not confirm asbestos content. If you need certainty—especially before removal, demolition or major renovations—sampling and testing by a NATA-accredited laboratory is the reliable next step. We can advise which specific items are worth testing to keep it targeted and cost-effective.
Yes. A pre-renovation Visual Asbestos Survey is ideal for North Melbourne terraces and townhouses because works often involve opening walls, replacing wet areas, updating ceilings, and changing floor finishes. We assess accessible internal and external areas, note suspect materials and their condition, and help you understand where trades need caution. If confirmation is required, we’ll recommend targeted testing before works start.
Yes. Multiple renovation layers can leave asbestos behind in less obvious locations, such as under newer floor coverings, behind splashback upgrades, inside boxed-in services, or beneath patched eaves. Renovations sometimes cover rather than remove older sheeting to save time or cost. A Visual Asbestos Survey helps identify where these legacy materials may still exist in accessible areas, so you can avoid disturbing them during further upgrades.
First, avoid disturbing the material—no sanding, drilling, cutting or pressure washing. If it’s intact and unlikely to be disturbed, management may involve leaving it in place and monitoring its condition. If it’s damaged or your planned works will impact it, arrange targeted sampling and lab testing, then engage an appropriately qualified asbestos removalist for removal or encapsulation as needed. We’ll outline practical next steps based on what we see.
Still have questions?
Get in TouchACE Building and Pest Inspections focuses on the materials and locations that commonly affect pre-1990 properties in 3051, helping you plan renovations safely. Call 0413 163 187 to arrange an inspection.