How to check for lead and asbestos in 90s homes
Building materials containing lead and asbestos remained in warehouse backstock and circulation long after their official bans, leaving houses built into the mid-90s at risk. Realtors often dismiss these environmental safety concerns as overly strict, making it difficult for buyers with young children to investigate potential hazards without facing pushback.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
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How to check for lead and asbestos in 90s homes
- 1Limiting home searches strictly to properties constructed in the year 2000 or newerDid this help you?
- 2Requesting a rigorous home inspectionDid this help you?
- 3Buying a lead paint test kitDid this help you?
- 4Checking with the state Department of Environmental ProtectionDid this help you?
- 5Sending a small sample to a lab for testingDid this help you?
- 6Hiring a professional for removal if hazardous materials are presentDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Old house shingles from that era could be asbestos, especially if they look fibrous or grayish. You can send small sample to a lab, costs maybe 30-50 bucks.”source ↗
“How can I determine if the old shingles are cedar vs. asbestos?”source ↗
“I live in Florida. I also have a one year old son and take environmental and home safety very seriously.”source ↗
“I am now searching to purchase a new home and have read that lead was banned in building materials in the 70s, and asbestos was banned in the 80s; however, several sources noted that some of these materials may have already been in circulation/backstock in warehouses and so forth, meaning that they may have been used into the mid 90s.”source ↗
“I am getting some push back because I think she doesn't see the concern and says it will be harder to find something in my price range.”source ↗
Where this came up
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