Home renovations: Reno queen Cherie Barber’s ‘Grim Reaper’ home warning
Renovation queen Cherie Barber fears her DIY days could result in an early death and says not enough is being done to educate about the No. 1 danger lurking in the home.
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Renovation queen Cherie Barber has opened up about her fears of developing an asbestos disease after an early renovation saw her covered in the potentially deadly fibres.
The TV renovator and Asbestos Awareness ambassador is warning home renovators of the risk they face as a third wave of asbestos related disease emerges in Australia.
Ms Barber said she was exposed to asbestos during one of her first renovation projects done in her 20s – an event that prompted her to educate herself and others of the risk.
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“I very distinctly recall sanding this wall in a little character cottage in Balmain,” she said.
“I was completely covered in dust. I was wearing safety glasses but wasn’t wearing a respirator.”
“I later came to discover that the wall was an asbestos wall.”
“I was horrified. I often wonder now, am I going to die of asbestos poisoning?”
Ms Barber also lost her grandfather to asbestos poisoning from his work as a wharfie where he carried sacks containing asbestos over his shoulder.
“It’s a terrible disease to pass away from,” she said.
“Once you are diagnosed with mesothelioma or asbestos poisoning your lifespan is normally 12 months and unfortunately there’s no cure.”
It comes as experts warn homeowners, DIY renovators and renters are exposing themselves and their loved ones to deadly asbestos without realising it – with even the simple act of installing a picture hook considered a significant health risk.
While government programs in the ACT and NSW have helped with the removal of loose fill asbestos ceiling insulation, it is unknown how much “hidden” non-friable asbestos – asbestos mixed into other material like cement – remains in properties across the country.
It is estimated, however, that one in three homes built before 1990 contain asbestos in some form, which can cause deadly disease when disturbed during renovations or weather events.
Despite this, the only legal requirement to disclose the presence of asbestos in a NSW home sale is in the case of loose fill asbestos, where the contract of sale must include a warning that the home might contain this type of insulation if built before 1985.
It comes as signs emerge of a third-wave of asbestos related diseases, with a growing number of cases related to home constructions and DIY projects.
Slater and Gordon head of Asbestos and Dust Diseases Joanne Wade said more DIY-ers were seeking compensation for exposure occurring in the home.
“I have been doing asbestos work since the mid 1990s,” she said.
“A lot of the early clients suffering from asbestos diseases were the workers from the mines, factory workers and tradespeople. Then in the early to mid 2000s we started to see a lot more home renovators come through.”
Before it was banned from Australia in 2003, asbestos was used in more than 3000 different products in the home ranging from the foundations all the way up to the roof.
The list of asbestos products still commonly present in homes includes tile glue, grout, paint, fencing and floor and wall lining – particularly in wet areas such as bathrooms.
It is also found behind electrical switchboards, under vinyl floor coverings, as insulation around hot water pipes and in the eaves of properties.
Ms Barber said not enough is done to educate the public on the risk of exposure within the home.
“Four thousand Australians die from asbestos every single year – it’s double the national road toll in Australia,” she said.
“Asbestos is the Grim Reaper of home renovations.”
Chair of the Asbestos and HAZMAT Removalists Association Bret Baker said every home built before 1990 should be treated as though it contains asbestos.
“A lot of people will go in and drill into walls to hang picture hooks without actually knowing,” he said.
“The chances are they could be exposing themselves and the ones around them to asbestos.”
Ms Barber said there had been an increase in DIY renovations since the pandemic, with many not realising the potentially deadly fibre could be found throughout an entire property.
“More and more people are doing DIY trying to save money because tradies are expensive,” she said.
“The big culprit areas are the bathrooms and laundries.”
She said it is common to find asbestos under bathroom tiles and vinyl flooring or wrapped around hot water pipes in walls.
“People rip up these old walls and they think it’s just cobwebs or fabric wadding, not realising that it is asbestos,” she said.
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