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Asbestos cement moulded panels

Description

Moulded panels for cladding or siding applications. Primarily marketed for exterior use on walls and gable ends, but also for internal feature walls, screens, fencing and partitions. Horizontal and vertical direction application.

Appearance can be that of rows of planking, smooth, woodgrain, half-moon logs or flat with grooves, columns or ribs.

Large market input of moulded panels by Hardie’s and Wunderlich. These manufacturers competed with similar/identical product. Even using the same name for Log Cabin panelling.

Panels patterns may vary depending on which face was installed as external facing.

Some of these moulded patterns were not market friendly.  Hardies Ranchline, a variation of the Log Cabin product, was only sold in NSW. Hardies Fluted was introduced in 1960 but withdrawn in 1964 due to poor sales.  Weatherboard panels sold well in NSW compared to other regions of Australia.

Years of production/use

Prior to 1990

Brands/products
  • Weatherboard (known as Chamferboard in Qld) – introduced 1961
  • Shadowline – introduced 1958
  • Highline
  • Coverline – first introduced to Qld, then general market 1960
  • Log cabin – introduced1962
  • Durawall
  • Striated (also known as Striated Hardiflex) – introduced 1957
  • Fluted – introduced 1960, withdrawn 1964
  • Ribwall
  • Lineboard
  • Hardigrain
  • Ranchline (marketed in NSW only) – introduced 1963
Residential uses

Homes, garages, sheds, exterior and interior feature walls, spandrel panels

Industrial uses

Commercial, government and community buildings

Be aware

Used with moulded AC internal and/or external angles.

Uncapped edging that displays bare fibres.

Some moulded patterns have identical appearance to steel cladding, when painted.

Moulded panel profiles

Asbestos cement (individual) planks

Description

Imitation of timber planks. Surface appearances of flat and woodgrain. 

For external walls, gable ends and screening.

Not to be confused with moulded AC panels of around three planks appearance, but with smaller widths.

Like AC sheeting, generally contained around 15% chrysotile asbestos.

Overlapped horizontal layering. Nailed into studs.  If vertical battens not used at horizontal joints a thin strip of the same AC planking may be adhered to back of panel joints.  Punched nail-heads and joints may be filled with putty.

Marketed as infill panels, incorporated into house design between brickwork, windows and other structural items.   

Also refer Woven asbestos cement sheeting for fences.

Following the cease of asbestos use, Hardie’s manufactured identical cellulose fibre products under the names Hardiplank II Smooth and Hardiplank II Woodgrain. This may be branded on the underside edging.  If unsure, sampling for testing by a NATA accredited laboratory is the only method of confirming asbestos content. 

Brands/products
  • Wunderplank
  • Hardiplank
  • Hardiplank Woodgrain
  • Hardigrain
Years of production/use

1960s to mid-1980s

Residential uses
  • Homes, garages
  • Community buildings
Industrial uses

N/A

Be aware

Used with moulded AC internal and/or external angles. Adhesives used may contain asbestos.

Corrugated asbestos cement sheeting – external walling

Description

Walls of moulded cement sheeting which has been shaped into a series of parallel ridges for added rigidity and strength. May be painted.

As with most AC product, visible damage indicators will include a jagged appearance at points of damage.

Years of production/use

Prior to 1990

Brands/products
  • Asbestolite
  • Correbestos
  • Durabestos
  • Fibrock
  • Fibrolite
  • Standard
  • Super-Six
  • Deep six
  • Tasbestos
  • Fibrobestos
  • Master Seven (M7)

Asbestos raw material varied between manufacturers. CSR Fibrock also used crocidolite (Blue) asbestos for AC sheeting.

Residential uses
  • Garages, sheds, farm structures, rarely on housing
Industrial uses
  • Any industrial building. Often used in conjunction with AC corrugated roofing
  • Community buildings, cinemas and churches
Be aware

Extensive use of corrugated sheeting will likely be accompanied by other AC structural items such as corner moulding, guttering, downpipes etc

Asbestos cement flat sheeting – external

Description

Fibrous asbestos cement sheeting, commonly known as ‘Fibro’, which contained around 15% chrysotile asbestos.

Used as external wall sheeting throughout 20th century until production ceased in mid 1980s.

Also used on gable ends, different facias, curtain walling, eave soffits, balustrades, fencing and formwork.   

Installed with AC moulded angles, corner moulds, battens and cover strips for jointing.

Hardiflex, when first introduced into the market in 1964, contained chrysotile asbestos and cellulose fibre. Following the cease of asbestos use in the 1980s, Hardie’s manufactured a near identical cellulose fibre product to Hardiflex under the name Hardiflex II. This may be branded on the underside edging.  If unsure, sampling for testing by a NATA accredited laboratory is the only method of confirming the non-asbestos product. 

See also: Compressed flat asbestos cement sheeting.

Years of production/use

Prior to 1990

Asbestos silicate raw material varied between manufacturers. CSR Fibrock used crocidolite (Blue) asbestos.

Brands/products
  • Fibrocene
  • Fibrock
  • Durabestos
  • Fibrolite
  • Tasbestos
  • Flexboard
  • Asbestolite
  • Hardiflex
  • Hardie’s compressed sheet
  • Fibrobestos
  • Wunderflex
  • Endurite
  • Versilux – sold only in Qld, WA and northern NSW
Residential uses

Houses, garages, sheds, external toilets, chook pens, boat houses

Industrial uses

Foundries, factories, warehouses, substations, workshops, community and government buildings, office buildings, shops, churches, rural and others

Be aware

Breakages are characteristically jagged. Painted AC sheeting may not be visually obvious as ACM. May be covered in render or other material.

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Email: enquiries@asbestossafety.gov.au

Phone: 1300 326 148

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The Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency acknowledges the traditional owners and custodians of country throughout Australia and acknowledges their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to the people, the cultures and the elders past, present and emerging.

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