Asbestos Asbestos is a known carcinogen which is sometimes found in vermiculite ceilings. If your vermiculite ceiling contains asbestos, ideally it should be removed. The inhalation of asbestos fibres is known to cause lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma.

• Lung Cancer takes on average 20 to 30 years to form from the first exposure to asbestos. Asbestos of all types has been shown to cause lung cancer and the symptoms are rarely felt until the disease is in its advanced stages.
  Cancer cells can break away and spread to other parts of the body once lung cancer occurs.
• Asbestosis is a nonmalignant asbestos disease that is slowly progressive. Asbestosis is a scarring of lung tissue caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibers and can be severely disabling and potentially fatal.
  The latency period of asbestosis is generally between 15 and 25 years.
• Malignant mesothelioma is a form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. The disease attacks the mesothelial cells, which are specialized cells that make up the membranes lining the chest and abdominal cavity.
  Malignant mesothelioma is usually fatal.

We test every vermiculite ceiling for asbestos before undertaking any work using a National Association of Testing Authorities accredited laboratory.

Our certified Asbestos Removalists can safely remove all traces of the vermiculite if asbestos is found in your home.



After removal At the time vermiculite ceilings were popular in the construction industry, vermiculite was considered an easy solution for filling in the uneven surfaces and covering up the ugly concrete formwork marks left on concrete ceilings.

Once the vermiculite has been completely removed, the rough concrete surface left behind has to be re-plastered and repainted.

Further information about asbestos

• Queensland Government Department of Employment and Industrial Relations (website)
• Australian Safety and Compensation Council Code of Practice for the Mangement and Control of Asbestos in the Workplace [NOHSC:2018(2005)] (PDF)