Asbestos in Ceiling Tiles and Panels: What NZ Homeowners Need to Know

If your home was built or renovated between 1950 and 2000, there’s a chance your ceiling tiles or ceiling panels may contain asbestos.

At Savy Enviro, we help New Zealanders identify, manage, and safely remove asbestos from their homes.

In New Zealand, fibre cement ceiling tiles and panels installed before the 1980s often contained asbestos.

These can include:

• Asbestos ceiling tiles
• Textured ceilings (e.g., popcorn ceilings)
• AIB (Asbestos Insulating Board) used for insulation, fireproofing, and soundproofing

Both friable (easily crumbled) and non-friable asbestos materials were used.

Friable asbestos ceiling tiles are more dangerous because they can release harmful fibres into the air more easily.

You can’t confirm it just by looking.

Not all older ceiling tiles were made with asbestos – but many were.

The only safe and accurate method is to have your ceiling professionally tested.

We recommend testing before:

• Renovations
• Sanding, drilling, or removing ceiling panels
• Replacing insulation or lighting fixtures

These activities can disturb hidden fibres, posing a serious health risk.

Don’t disturb it. Even small scratches or drilling can release asbestos fibres.

Your options include:

Leave it (with a management plan)

If it’s in good condition, our team can create a compliant asbestos management plan to monitor it safely.

Encapsulate it

Encapsulation involves sealing the asbestos surface with a specialised coating.
This prevents fibres from escaping and is often a good solution when the material is still intact.

Remove it

If your ceiling is damaged or being renovated, removal may be the safest option. Savy Enviro is WorkSafe NZ licensed and follows strict safety procedures to keep your home and family safe.

Costs vary based on size of the area, type of vinyl and glue, accessibility and location and extent of contamination

For an accurate estimate of cost, we recommend contacting us for a site-specific quote.

Yes – asbestos in houses NZ-wide was common during this period, especially in ceilings, walls, flooring, and insulation.

Asbestos was also used in vinyl flooring (especially in the backing), wall linings, and insulation.

See our other guides on:

• [How to tell if vinyl has asbestos]
• [Asbestos in vinyl flooring NZ]
• [Asbestos insulation NZ]

• Certified asbestos assessors and removalists
• WorkSafe NZ compliant
• Safe testing, removal, and encapsulation services
• Clear advice and support
• Trusted by NZ homeowners and builders

Don’t take chances with your health.

If you suspect asbestos in your ceiling tiles, popcorn ceiling, or anywhere else in your home, let the experts at Savy Enviro inspect it and guide you through your safest options.

Call us now or Book an inspection online.

We’re here to help keep your home safe – the smart way.