Asbestos, Insulation or Common Household Dust ??

Pbm33 on 13/07/2025 - 20:47

Hi guys,

In the last few years I've noticed the amount of "dust" in our house upstairs is getting a bit too much.

I've tried everything from more regular vacuuming, to replacing bedsheets, but nothing seems to be helping.

I have no carpets in the house.

The only theory I can come up with now is upstairs I have halogen downlights. There is this small gap around the downlights which sometimes shows similar "dust" captured around it. All photos here: https://imgur.com/a/MJONH5O

Today I've climbed into the roof of the property, and the insulation looks quite dusty – although not sure if this is normal in the roof of a property.

It's a 2007 built house, so surely it can't be asbestos…

Is it fibres of the insulation seeping into the house via the halogen downlights?

Is it normal household dust?

The photos are of the "dust" captured in my Dyson.

Can someone help me out here please?

TIA.

Home & Garden Asbestos

Comments

  • Hybroid on 13/07/2025 - 20:55
    +2

    Looks pretty 'normal' dust build up in Australia. Especially when things like exhaust fans here aren't connected to the outside, but just suck air into the void space above, which in turn circulates dust and other particles into crevices like those around downlights which builds up over time.

    Asbestos was banned in 2003, so highly unlikely you have it present in your home, but you can always send off a sample to be inspected if you want peace of mind.

    Another option is getting an air purifier to capture particles in the air upstairs if you feel it's particularly heavy dust.

  • Aureus on 13/07/2025 - 20:56
    +4

    It just looks like general dust / grime that you would expect to see in a vacuum.

    There is 0.00% chance that your 2007 built house has loose asbestos insulation.

  • Wiadro on 13/07/2025 - 21:22
    +6

    lol its dust

  • RogerLoger on 13/07/2025 - 21:33

    Asbestos was legislated out of use about 1994 (from memory, but was early 90s). The problem was recognised earlier and it was phased out before then. So, it is highly unlikely you have asbestos in your ceiling.

    Ceiling voids are usually designed to get at least some air circulation so they don't get moisture build-up. If the roof has tiles and the membrane is perforated, dust can blow about a lot, as can blow-in insulation. If exhaust fan are vented into the ceiling void, they can disturb dust, as well (and introduce moisture into the space, which can cause long-term problems).

    Do you have batts or blow-in. Blow in insulation looks like this https://ibb.co/7tbsx4Yn and is more prone to blow about (and makes the void a b*** to work in). Either way, wear a dust mask if you go into the void.

    Halogen lights run hot. They need to be air-gapped from insulation. https://efficiencymatrix.com/understanding-asnzs-5110/

    Some (but not all) LED downlights are rated to be covered by insulation.

    You might try vacuuming the gap in your halogen lights from below to see if you can reduce the problem.

  • Pbm33 on 13/07/2025 - 21:40

    Blow in insulation looks like this

    Nah definitely doesn't look like this. It's batts I would say.

    Halogen lights run hot. They need to be air-gapped from insulation.

    Yep, when in the roofing I could see gaps around the lighting.

  • JIMB0 on 13/07/2025 - 22:03
    +5

    Those lights are horrible. The gap allows a draft which let's all your warm air out in winter and brings in dust from the roof cavity. I replaced all mine with led lights that you can lay insulation over.

  • Muppet Detector on 13/07/2025 - 23:29
    +1

    In the last few years I've noticed the amount of "dust" in our house upstairs is getting a bit too much.

    So, your dust bunnies are breeding like rabbits?

    According to Fibonacci, it's only going to get worse.

    • pjetson on 15/07/2025 - 17:55

      According to Fibonacci, it's only going to get worse

      According to D:ream, things can only get better.

      • Muppet Detector on 15/07/2025 - 18:11

        Hahaha!

        Well played.

        I wasn't familiar with them, so I did have to google to understand your reference. I was initially thinking it was some kind of computer language, so was surprised it was the name of a band.

        But it was still well done.

        I'm not sure if you're familiar with Fibonacci, but the reason I included him in my reference was because I was talking about "dust bunnies", which I then extended to a common saying "breeding like rabbits" which was what the OP's dust seemed to be doing.

        From there, I continued the rabbit theme by referring to Fibonacci because his number sequence pattern is found in the breeding pattern of rabbits.

        As you expand that pattern, it continues to increase with every generation, the same way that the pattern does.

        So, I really leaned into my analogy, quite pleased with myself because I thought I was being quite clever, and used all that to tell the OP, that his dust production was only going to continue to increase.

        • pjetson on 15/07/2025 - 18:29

          There's a science tie-in with D:ream, too - physicist Professor Brian Cox used to play keyboards for D:ream. Nowdays, though, he insists that the lyric "Things Can Only Get Better" violates the second law of thermodynamics.

  • ForkSnorter on 14/07/2025 - 06:06

    Houses are designed so that the roof sucks air out of the house, not blows it back in. That's what the whirlybird is doing: letting hot air and moisture out of your house.

    If air and dust is being blown into your house from the roof cavity, that doesn't sound ideal.

    But even if it wasn't, houses do get a lot of dust. Everything is constantly shedding particles, which becomes dust.

    I'm allergic to dust and dust mites, so I have to wipe down a lot of surfaces in the room frequently, shake my pillows and bedding out every night, wash my sheets and pillowcases frequently. Vacuuming alone doesn't get rid of dust. Try running a damp tissue along the back/top of your monitors, the top of any pictures hanging on your wall, the top of the window frame, or the tops of your bookcases. They will be covered in dust.

  • Stealtho on 14/07/2025 - 08:04
    +2

    You have a fire hazard with those lights

  • pegaxs on 14/07/2025 - 08:11
    +2

    2007 house and asbestos are not really going to be a thing.

  • subydooby on 14/07/2025 - 08:20

    Dust to dust…

  • wongcr on 14/07/2025 - 08:51
    +1

    people clothes & pets generate dust.

    https://www.realsimple.com/why-is-my-house-so-dusty-7104824

    TL;DR clean & vaccy more often. Seal gaps in building envelope. And get an air purifier?

  • Boioioioi on 14/07/2025 - 08:53

    It would not be asbestos. Pretty much non existent in houses from 1990 onwards.

    • Stewardo on 14/07/2025 - 11:46

      1/1/2004 in the switchboard

  • Protractor on 14/07/2025 - 10:04

    Swap out the lights with LED and see if the new ones can be sealed a bit better. Get rid of as much residual dust inside, as you can, and monitor from then on. Do you live near any unsealed roads or large open space vacant land,busy roads, UCL etc?

  • Euphemistic on 14/07/2025 - 10:45

    As pthers have said, spend a few coins and get some LED replacements for those downlights. Youll use 10% of the power and probably get better light from them. They are likely plug in type so wont need rewiring. Check if there is a socket in the ceiling for each one. If there isnt, you can get a sparky to put sockets in and do the lights yourself.

    Is there really more dust? Or is it confirmation bias? Is your vacum better than previously? Maybe you are noticing it more because you think you are noticing more when you didnt take as much notice previously. After almost 20 years, there is going to be a fair bit of dust in the roof cavity. its probably normal.

  • LFO on 14/07/2025 - 12:33

    The only theory I can come up with now is upstairs I have halogen downlights. There is this small gap around the downlights …

    Spot on!!

    We had (past tense) the same sort and, besides dust, had lots of little tiny insects inside.

    Replaced them all and the tiny insects are gone.
    Dust is a little bit less but we just recently did the downlights swap so it could be old one.

  • 82norm on 14/07/2025 - 12:46
    +1

    Dust is the least of your problems. Those halogens are probably 60w vs 7-12w for leds. Only issue, they’re probably wired to a transformer, so not quite plug and play. Need to wire them to a power socket.

  • lainey13 on 14/07/2025 - 23:19

    Moisturise more, a large portion of dust is dead skin. Tell me you at least don't wear outside shoes inside?

  • Pbm33 on 17/07/2025 - 00:21

    Ok, I have decided to replace all those halogen lights to LEDs.

    I also get a fair bit of dust in the bathroom. The bathroom has a HPM 3 in 1 heat light and fan which looks like this one: https://www.bunnings.com.au/hpm-3-in-1-2-lamp-instant-heat-b…

    Plan was to renovate the bathroom next year anyway, but I'll look to potentially replace the lighting now given I'll be getting an electrician in.

    Any suggestions for alternative bathroom heat fans which limit dust coming in?

    • Euphemistic on 18/07/2025 - 06:56

      Any fan you get will allow dust in. After all, the air has to get out somehow. Maybe you can find one with some sort of one way valve.

    • JIMB0 on 18/07/2025 - 08:28

      Put a DraftStoppa over the top. It has flaps on top that open to let exhaust out, but close to stops drafts. You can get them free from through the state government energy saving schemes.

      • Pbm33 on 18/07/2025 - 11:13

        You can get them free from through the state government energy saving schemes.

        Can't find info on this anywhere.

        • JIMB0 on 18/07/2025 - 11:23

          If you're lucky enough to live in the great state of Victoria along with @jv, the fantastic state government provides them through this scheme.

          https://www.energy.vic.gov.au/victorian-energy-upgrades/prod…

          • jv on 18/07/2025 - 12:56

            @JIMB0:

            fantastic state government provides them through this scheme.

            The installers have already increased their fees by that amount so the consumer is not really any better off…
            There are no savings, just the installers are making more profit. We're just paying even more taxes…

            • JIMB0 on 18/07/2025 - 14:21

              @jv: They're already free to have them supply and install it. The savings come from lower energy bills.

              • jv on 18/07/2025 - 14:51

                @JIMB0:

                They're already free

                Not if you want the good quality ones.

                Also, the scheme started in 2009

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