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Asbestos and lead paint: check before you renovate
Older homes can contain asbestos and lead-based paint. Both are mostly harmless while intact, but sanding, cutting or demolishing them releases dust that causes serious disease. This guide explains where they hide and what to do before you start work.
1. Why it matters
Breathing asbestos fibres can cause lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis, often decades later. Lead dust from old paint is especially harmful to young children and pregnant women. The danger comes from disturbing the material: drilling, sanding, scraping or breaking it. If you suspect either, do not disturb it until it has been tested.
2. Where asbestos may be found
Asbestos was widely used in buildings until it was banned; bans came at different times in different countries, mostly between the 1980s and the early 2000s. In homes built before then, it can be found in:
- Fibre-cement roof sheets, gutters, pipes and wall panels.
- Pipe and boiler insulation, and old heater panels.
- Textured ceiling coatings and some wall plasters.
- Vinyl floor tiles and their adhesive.
You cannot tell asbestos by looking at it.
3. Where lead paint may be found
Lead-based paint was common until it was restricted, for example in 1978 in the United States and earlier in parts of Europe. Doors, windows, skirting boards, stairs and railings are the most likely places. Lead test kits give an indication; a laboratory test of a paint chip is more reliable.
4. Testing
For asbestos, have a sample taken by an accredited surveyor or laboratory, or follow your local authority’s guidance on sampling. Before larger renovation or demolition, many countries require a survey. Keep the results with your house documents.
5. Working safely, or not at all
Removing asbestos is usually reserved for licensed contractors; rules on what a homeowner may do differ by country. For lead paint, avoid dry sanding, open-flame burning and power planing; use wet methods, cover floors with plastic sheeting, keep children and pregnant women away and clean with a HEPA vacuum and wet wiping. In the US, renovators working in pre-1978 homes must be lead-safe certified.
Plan these checks at the very start of a project; see Renovation order: which job comes first.
Common mistakes
- Sanding or scraping old paint without checking for lead.
- Drilling or breaking old boards, tiles or pipe lagging before testing for asbestos.
- Sweeping up dust instead of wet-cleaning and HEPA vacuuming.
- Letting children into the work area.
- Assuming a house is too new or too old to contain either material without checking its date.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my house has asbestos?
Only a laboratory test can confirm it. Houses built before the national ban are the most likely to contain it.
Is asbestos dangerous if left alone?
Material in good condition that is not disturbed is generally a low risk. The danger is when it is damaged or worked on.
Can I remove asbestos myself?
Rules differ by country; in many places removal must be done by licensed contractors. Check with your local authority.
How can I test for lead paint?
Home test kits give an indication; a certified inspector or laboratory test is more reliable.
Can I paint over lead paint?
Encapsulating intact lead paint with a suitable coating is an accepted method; sanding it first is not.