Asbestos in a 1970s house is a combination of construction terms that causes the most concern for property managers, owners and renovators. For good reason, because the 1970s represents the highest asbestos content in Finland's building stock ever. In the houses of this decade, asbestos is on average more, more diverse and in more structural parts than in other decades. Surveying before renovation is not an option but a necessity.
The 1970s was the golden age of asbestos
In the 1970s, Finland was built at a tremendous pace. Prefab apartment buildings, blocks of terraced houses, and single-family housing areas emerged as suburbs, and at the same time, the range of industrially produced building materials grew explosively. Asbestos was used in almost everything where fire resistance, insulation or strength was needed. 1976 sprayed asbestos was banned, but other asbestos-containing materials continued to be used until 1994. Thus, every building from the 1970s is likely to have several asbestos-containing products in several different structural components.
Typical 1970s asbestos materials
The most common asbestos findings in the construction stock of the 70s are:
- Minerit boards in facades, balcony partitions and sauna wall structures.
- Asbestos cement pipes in drains and ventilation ducts.
- Pipe insulation in heat distribution rooms and risers between apartments.
- Tile adhesives on the walls and floors of bathrooms and kitchens.
- vinyl flooring and flooring adhesives in apartments, stairwells and public spaces.
- Fillers, especially floor levelling compounds and wall fillers.
- Waterproofing in the bathrooms.
- Fire doors and their seals.
- Ventilation duct seals and insulation.
What types of buildings are affected by asbestos in a 1970s house
The risk applies to all building types from the 70s. Prefab apartment buildings that had large pipelines and bathroom sinks contain asbestos in their structural layers. Terraced houses, where the roofs and facades were often made of Minerit board, are particularly typical finds. Detached houses that were installed with central heating and tile walls typically contain asbestos in the heating technical parts and in the coatings of the bathrooms.
Why right now is the peak time for surveys
The buildings of the 1970s are now in the age of renovation. Pipelines, bathrooms, windows and facades come to the end of their life cycle between 40 and 55 years, which means that practically the entire building stock of the decade is currently or will soon be subject to renovation. This increases the demand for asbestos surveys. Every pipeline renovation site from the 70s requires a survey, and practically every project contains asbestos. Property managers and housing associations benefit from the fact that the survey is already ordered in the project planning phase before the contract competition.
Typical renovations where a survey is mandatory
- Line renovation and pipe repair in a housing association.
- Complete renovation of the bathroom.
- Kitchen renovation, where old tiles or vinyl flooring are removed.
- Renovation of the facade or balconies, especially if Minerit boards are included.
- Window and door repairs, which deal with old putties and seals.
- Renovation of the heat distribution room and boiler room.
Why a survey is important right now
The EU directive 2023/2668 tightens the limit values for exposure to asbestos and forces the quality of surveys to increase. At the same time, the renovation wave of the 70s is underway. A well-done survey saves money, time and health, when the removal work can be planned correctly and the price of the work remains predictable. Order an asbestos survey for your 1970s house before tendering for the contract. Asbesti.pro forwards the work to a qualified surveyor and delivers the report ready for use, so that you can proceed with the planning of the renovation with confidence.