How To Paint An Old Fibro Home Interior Safely

Fibro homes — short for fibrous cement sheet construction — are part of the fabric of Wollongong and the Illawarra. Built in large numbers through the 1940s, 50s, and 60s, they’re everywhere in suburbs like West Wollongong, Thirroul, Bulli, and across the region. Many have been lovingly maintained; others are being updated by new owners who’ve bought into the area.

Here’s what you need to know before painting the interior of an older fibro home — particularly regarding safety — and how to get a quality, lasting result once you’ve got that covered.

The Asbestos Question — and Why It Comes First

This is the most important part of this guide, so we’re putting it first.

Fibro sheeting manufactured before approximately 1987 in Australia may contain asbestos. This includes the flat sheeting used for interior and exterior walls, the corrugated sheeting used on some roofs and fences, and the textured or patterned interior sheeting found in many older Illawarra homes.

Asbestos-containing material (ACM) in good condition — undisturbed, unbroken, firmly bonded — is generally considered low risk. The hazard comes when it’s disturbed: drilling, sanding, cutting, scraping, or breaking the sheet releases asbestos fibres into the air, which can be inhaled. This is the mechanism for serious disease.

What This Means Before You Paint

If the sheeting is in good condition — no cracks, no damage, no friable (crumbling) areas — you can paint over it without disturbing it. The paint does not release fibres. In this case, standard interior painting is considered safe.

If the sheeting is damaged, cracked, or friable — or if prep work involves sanding, scraping, or abrading the sheet surface — you need to stop, assess, and potentially get a professional asbestos assessment before proceeding.

Do not:

Sand fibro walls or ceilings as part of painting prep (this is the most common dangerous mistake)
Use a high-pressure wash on fibro sheeting
Drill into fibro without considering asbestos risk
Remove or break damaged fibro sheets yourself

Do:

Have a licensed asbestos assessor test the material if you’re unsure of its composition or if the sheeting is damaged
Follow Safe Work NSW guidelines for any work involving potential ACM
Use wet methods rather than dry sanding if any surface prep is genuinely unavoidable

For interior painting of intact fibro in an older Wollongong home, the practical approach is: no sanding, careful preparation that doesn’t abrade the sheet surface, and proper encapsulation through primer and topcoat.

Preparing Fibro Walls for Interior Painting

Assuming the sheeting is intact and in good condition, here’s how to prepare it properly:

Clean Thoroughly

Fibro walls accumulate dust, grease, and grime over decades. A sugar soap wash followed by a thorough rinse gets the surface clean. Don’t use high-pressure washing — it’s too aggressive for fibro and the risk isn’t worth it.

Check for and Fill Holes and Cracks

Nail holes, minor cracks at joins, and any small damage can be filled with an appropriate gap filler or flexible patching compound. The key word is flexible — fibro sheeting moves with temperature and humidity changes, and rigid fillers will crack back open.

For joins between sheets, a paintable acrylic caulk is appropriate. Standard rigid plaster filler is not a good choice for fibro joins.

Check for Existing Paint Adhesion

Tap and press gently across the wall. If you hear a hollow sound or feel any loose areas, the existing paint may be lifting. Painting over poorly adhered existing paint means the new paint lifts with it.

Areas where existing paint is lifting need to be gently removed (not sanded) and the bare fibro sealed with an appropriate primer before topcoat.

Primer Selection for Fibro

This is where a lot of DIY fibro repaints go wrong. Fibro is a highly porous, alkaline surface. Standard interior primers may not:

Penetrate the surface properly
Seal the high alkalinity that can cause efflorescence or discolouration through the topcoat
Provide adequate adhesion for modern water-based topcoats on an older, multi-coated surface

Use an appropriate primer for fibro:

Dulux Prepcoat Multi Purpose Primer Sealer — appropriate for fibro and a range of existing surfaces
Taubmans 3 in 1 — sealing and adhesion properties suitable for older fibro walls
Alkali-resistant primer — particularly important if the fibro has any moisture-related issues

Applying the right primer is the step that determines whether a fibro interior repaint holds properly or starts showing problems within a year.

Paint Product Selection

Once primed, fibro interior walls accept standard premium acrylic interior paint. The same product choices that work on any interior wall apply here.

For Wollongong homes — where humidity is higher than inland areas — choose a formula with:

Anti-mould additives for any rooms with limited ventilation
Washability appropriate for the room’s use

Given the coastal humidity in the Illawarra, low-sheen or satin is preferable to flat for main living areas — slightly more washable and more moisture-tolerant. Semi-gloss for bathrooms and laundries, as always.

Working With the Character of Fibro Homes

One of the things that attracts people to older Wollongong fibro homes is their character — the proportions, the older-style detailing, the feel of a home built in a different era. A paint approach that works with this character rather than against it tends to produce the best results.

A few thoughts:

Warm whites and off-whites suit the proportions and natural light of older fibro homes very well. Dulux Antique White USA and Haymes Ivory Silk are consistently popular in these homes for good reason.

Ceiling heights and cornices in fibro homes are often lower than in contemporary builds — keeping the ceiling lighter than the walls (or white) maintains the sense of height rather than reducing it.

Timber elements — floors, window frames, built-in furniture — are common in older Illawarra homes. Choosing wall colours that complement rather than fight warm timber tones makes a significant difference to how the whole space reads.

Need a Quote for Painting a Fibro Home in Wollongong?

At Colourland Painting, we’re experienced with older fibro homes across the Illawarra. We understand the prep requirements, the right primer systems, and how to approach the job safely.

We work across Wollongong, West Wollongong, Thirroul, Austinmer, Bulli, and the surrounding areas.

How to Paint an Old Fibro Home Interior Safely