How do you recognise Super Six?
Look at the ridges. ASSEA's product guide says Hardies' Super Six sheet had seven wide, deep ridges about 5.7 inches apart (roughly 6 inches), where the older 'Standard' sheet had 11. The sheets are cement, not metal, and the name ended up being used for almost all corrugated asbestos cement roofing.
It went by plenty of brand names. ASSEA lists Fibrolite, Super-Six, Durabestos, Fibrock, Master Seven and Tasbestos among the corrugated asbestos cement roofing made before 1990, and says it averaged around 15% asbestos.
Not every sheet with that profile contains asbestos. Hardies stopped using asbestos around 1983 but sold a non-asbestos Super-Six until at least 1992. If you can see the underside of a shed or carport roof without touching it, look for an asbestos-free stamp, but a missing stamp doesn't prove anything. Only a lab test does.
Why does it get riskier with age?
ASSEA says asbestos cement roofs are in the worst condition of all the asbestos left in Australian buildings. Decades of sun and rain wear the surface so it gives off fibres more easily, and the sheets turn brittle, raising the risk of breakage and even collapse.
That's why walking on Super Six is so dangerous. Safe Work Australia says roofs made of materials such as asbestos sheeting are likely to be fragile and should be treated as fragile until a competent person confirms otherwise.
Rain also washes fibres into the gutters, and ASSEA says debris collected under these roofs should be treated as friable. It also advises against using the run-off for drinking, washing or bathing.
Never water-blast or walk on Super Six
Pressure-cleaning an asbestos roof is illegal in every state. Queensland can fine homeowners up to $10,000 and make them pay for the clean-up, and ASSEA reports pressure-cleaning contamination that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to fix, with fibres spreading to neighbours' yards, footpaths, roads and stormwater drains. Don't walk on it, cut it, drill it or scrub it, and don't let anyone else.
What do the rules say about removing it?
Across Australia, a tradesperson needs an asbestos removal licence to take off more than 10 m2 of bonded asbestos: Class B for bonded material like Super Six, Class A for friable asbestos. ASSEA says 10 m2 is about four sheets of asbestos cement wall sheeting, so even a modest shed roof can pass it.
The states differ on the edges. The ACT allows no unlicensed removal at all. Queensland makes you count the whole job, so it can't be split into smaller lots on different days. SafeWork SA says home renovators don't legally need a licence but recommends a licensed removalist, and Victoria's Asbestos Hub and the NSW Government say the same. Our guide to asbestos cement sheeting sets out each state's rules side by side.
Gutters need thought too. Because ASSEA says the debris in them should be treated as friable, and friable asbestos needs a Class A licence, ask the removalist exactly how they'll handle the gutters.
Replacing it with steel
Light steel sheeting is the usual replacement, and corrugated steel keeps a similar look. But a lighter roof changes how it needs to be held down. WA's Building and Energy found that in Perth, about half the roofs lost in storms were lightweight metal that had replaced heavy tile or asbestos roofing. Ask the roofer to check the battens and tie-downs, and whether your council needs a building permit for the change.
Removal and the new roof are two trades. Some roofers hold an asbestos removal licence; many work with a licensed removalist. Either way, ask for one quote covering both, so there's no gap between them for anyone to argue about.
If you think you've got Super Six
Put other roof work on hold
Hold off on gutter cleaning, painting, solar panels or antenna work on that roof until you know what it is.
Look without touching
From the ground, or from inside the shed or carport, note the ridges, the condition and any broken sheets. Take photos.
Get it sampled and tested
A licensed assessor or removalist takes a sample for a NATA-accredited lab. Our asbestos checker helps you decide whether a test is worth it.
Choose to leave, seal or replace
If it's sound, leaving it or sealing it may be reasonable. If it's brittle, cracked or leaking, plan to replace it. See painting an asbestos roof for the sealing option.
Book licensed removal
Check the removalist's licence class with your state's work safety regulator, and ask for proof of lawful disposal afterwards.
What you can do, and what needs a licensed removalist
You can
- Look and take photos from the ground or inside the shed
- Keep children, pets and ladders away from it
- Arrange testing before any other work
- Check removal licences with your state regulator
- Let neighbours know before removal day
Leave to a roofer
- Taking samples of the sheets
- Any repairs, cleaning or painting on the roof
- Removing sheets, ridge capping and gutter debris
- Wrapping and lawful disposal
- Laying the new roof and checking the tie-downs
If that roof were ours
If the Super Six is intact and no work is planned, we'd leave it be, keep everyone off it and keep the gutters out of bounds. Once it's cracking, leaking or in the way of a renovation, we'd have it tested and replaced in one job, with a licensed removalist and a roofer quoting together. We'd never pay anyone to patch, scrub or pressure-wash it.
Want a roofer to take a look?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match it with a Find My Roofer certified roofer who specialises in that kind of work, and they call you to quote. Your number goes to them alone.