Asbestos in a 1960s house is a combination that practically always means an asbestos risk. In Finland, the 1960s was a breakthrough in prefabricated construction, and asbestos was used very commonly in building materials. If you own or are considering renovating a property from the 60s, surveying is mandatory and for a reason, as asbestos-containing materials are found on average in more than 80 percent of properties from this time.
Building stock of the 1960s in Finland
The 1960s gave birth to the Finnish cityscape that we can still see today. Characteristic building types of the era are apartment block neighborhoods such as Helsinki's Pihlajamäki, Myllypuro, Kontula and Matinkylä, Espoo's Tapiola, as well as large townhouse and detached house areas around the country. Precast concrete construction became more common, and at the same time, a large number of asbestos-containing industrial products entered the buildings. Prefab houses, washed concrete facades, pipe insulation and floor coverings practically all contained something containing asbestos.
Why was so much asbestos used in the 1960s
Asbestos was considered an ideal building material in the 60s. It was cheap, non-flammable, durable and easy to modify. It was added to cement, carpet adhesives, screeds, insulation and adhesives. Asbestos use was at its peak in the 1960s and 1970s, and most of the building stock of the time contains asbestos in one way or another. This makes renovation in a house from the 60s always a site that must be surveyed.
Typical asbestos-containing materials in houses of the 1960s
The most common asbestos-containing materials in 1960s properties are:
- Pipe insulation in heating pipes and heat distribution rooms, often cardboard or pulp-like insulation shells.
- Boiler rooms fire protections, sealing strips and flange seals.
- wall fillers and screeds where asbestos was used as a binding material.
- Floor tiles, especially plastic fiber and small ceramic tiles in bathrooms.
- Tile adhesives in bathrooms and kitchen splash guards.
- vinyl flooring and their adhesives in living rooms, kitchens and stairwells.
- Waterproofing in old bathrooms.
- Asbestos cement ventilation ducts and chimneys.
Room-specific finds in the house of the 1960s
In the survey reports, the same observations are repeated from room to room:
- Bathroom: asbestos typically in tile adhesive, screeds, waterproofing and old vinyl flooring edges.
- Kitchen: splash guard tile adhesive, floor mat adhesive and sometimes screed layers.
- Heat distribution room and boiler room: pipe insulation, fire insulation and sealants are almost a sure find.
- Stairway: vinyl flooring and flooring adhesives, possible surface tiles.
- Roof and attic: asbestos cement sheets, ventilation ducts and in some cases sprayed asbestos around fire beams.
- Façade: Minerit sheets, asbestos cement sheets and old window sealants.
Why renovation always means surveying
Any renovation to a house from the 60s that touches the original structures triggers the survey obligation. A survey is not just a formality, but the only way to know where asbestos is and where it isn't. Renovation done without a survey can release asbestos fibers into the indoor air, spoil habitability and cause a health risk that can last for decades. Cleaning costs can easily rise to tens of thousands of euros if the survey is left undone and the asbestos is released uncontrollably.
Order an asbestos survey for your 60s house
If you live in a 1960 apartment, townhouse or single-family house and you are planning a renovation, you should order the survey right at the beginning of the planning. With the help of the report, the contractor knows how to plan the work correctly and the cost estimate remains under control. Asbesti.pro quickly delivers the surveys to qualified professionals all over Finland. Order an asbestos survey and you get an official report at your disposal without bureaucracy.