A house built in the 1920s
The 1920s building boom left many bungalows and revivals. Paint, plaster, early insulation and the water service line are the age-specific questions.
For a 1920s house, check 8 things: lead-based paint is possible; a lead service line is possible; vermiculite attic insulation may contain asbestos; asbestos-containing materials are possible; renovation work falls under epa’s lead-safe rule; sellers must disclose known lead paint; glass in doors may not be safety glass; test for radon, whatever the age. A decade says what is possible, not what your house has.
Lead-based paint is possible
EPA: "If your home was built before 1978, it is more likely to have lead-based paint." The federal government banned consumer lead-based paint for residential use in 1978. Dust and chips from old paint are among the most common sources of lead exposure at home.
How to check: Before sanding, scraping or replacing windows, use an EPA lead-safe certified renovator (required for paid work in pre-1978 homes under the RRP rule) or test the surfaces.
A lead service line is possible
EPA: lead pipes "are more likely to be found in older cities and homes built before 1986," and lead service lines are typically the most significant source of lead in drinking water. The Safe Drinking Water Act banned non-lead-free pipe, solder and flux in drinking-water plumbing after June 1986.
How to check: Ask your water utility whether your service line is lead (utilities are building service-line inventories), and test your tap water.
Vermiculite attic insulation may contain asbestos
EPA: a mine near Libby, Montana supplied over 70% of all vermiculite sold in the US from 1919 to 1990, and it was contaminated with asbestos; it was often sold as Zonolite. EPA advises assuming vermiculite insulation may be contaminated.
How to check: If the attic has loose, pebble-like gray-brown or gold insulation, do not disturb it; do not store things in that attic; hire a trained, accredited asbestos professional if work is needed.
Asbestos-containing materials are possible
EPA lists places asbestos may be found in older homes, such as some floor tiles, roofing and siding shingles, textured paints and patching compounds, pipe and boiler insulation, and some vermiculite insulation. Material in good condition that is left alone is generally not a hazard.
How to check: Before demolition or remodeling, have suspect materials sampled by an accredited professional; do not sand, cut or scrape them yourself.
Renovation work falls under EPA’s lead-safe rule
Paid renovation, repair and painting that disturbs paint in housing built before 1978 must be done by firms certified under EPA’s RRP program using lead-safe practices.
How to check: Ask every contractor for their EPA RRP firm certification before work that disturbs paint.
Sellers must disclose known lead paint
Federal law requires sellers and landlords of housing built before 1978 to disclose known lead-based paint and hazards and give buyers an EPA pamphlet; buyers get a 10-day window for an inspection unless they waive it.
How to check: Keep the lead disclosure form from your purchase with your house records.
Glass in doors may not be safety glass
CPSC’s safety standard for architectural glazing (16 CFR 1201) took effect in 1977 and requires safety glazing in storm doors, patio doors and similar locations.
How to check: Look for a permanent etched label in the corner of glass doors and large panels near doors; replace unlabeled annealed glass in high-traffic spots.
Test for radon, whatever the age
EPA recommends testing every home for radon. House age does not predict it; soil and construction details do.
How to check: Test every two years and after renovations that change the lowest level.
Information, not an inspection. Testing and abatement of lead or asbestos should be done by certified professionals.