Fibro walls: ask before anyone cuts
Fibro (asbestos cement sheet) was widely used in the 1950s, and the state's postwar heritage survey uses a Blackwood fibro house to illustrate it. Cutting or drilling it for a new power point, light switch or cable can release asbestos fibres. Don't do it yourself, and tell the electrician if you think your walls or eaves are fibro, so they can check and plan the job safely.
Blackwood's homes and setting
A railway suburb
Land grants began in 1840, but most housing came after the Adelaide to Aldgate railway and Blackwood station opened in 1883.
Postwar fill-in
After World War II the Hills face came under subdivision pressure at Belair, Blackwood and Eden Hills, and fibro came into wide use.
Houses, some units, mostly owned
At the 2021 Census, 80.0% of occupied homes were separate houses and 15.3% flats or units. 42.2% were owned outright and 14.8% rented, with a median age of 45.
Gullies and fire
Blackwood is a foothills suburb with creeks, waterfalls and gullies. RAA lists nearby Craigburn Farm and Eden Hills among Adelaide locations a bushfire could reach.
The jobs that come up in Blackwood
Adding points to older houses. Both railway-era and 1950s homes were built with few power points. Adding more is routine, but in a fibro house the route for the cable matters, so the electrician may run it through the roof space or under the floor rather than cutting the wall.
Board upgrades. Older boards in the area may still have fuses and no safety switches. Switchboard upgrades in Adelaide explains the options.
Fire-season readiness. Power can drop in bushfire weather even with no fire nearby. Homes that rely on electric pumps for tank water or sprinklers should talk to an electrician about backup supply, set up safely with a proper changeover switch.
If we owned a Blackwood fibro house
We'd tell every tradie about the fibro before they quoted, and choose an electrician who'll plan cable routes around it. Then we'd get the board brought up to date before summer, so every circuit is on a safety switch when the hottest, busiest months arrive.
Want a specialist to sort it?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match the licence-checked local electrician who does this kind of work, and they call you. No ring-around, and your number goes to them alone.