Brick Cladding

[mandyther]

Hi Everyone,

My name is Mandy and I have just bought my first home in Melbourne. I have a brick cladding feature wall which looks hideous and I want to pull the cladding off, but I am alarmed to read that it may contain asbestos. The house was built in 1980. Is there any way to tell for sure other than having it professionally tested whether it contains asbestos or not, or because of the year the home was built do I just assume it does?
The problem I have is that there are decorative cornices and if I just plaster over the top of the cladding then the new wall will come out further than the cornice and will look silly. The pattern of the cornice is no longer manufactured. Does anyone have any advice as to the asbestos issue or how I can over come my plastering dilemma?
Thanks, Mandy

[some_one]

I have a house with false cladding. Put up a picture of the wall, a picture speaks a thousand words!!