The original 1940s and 1950s structures of a post-war veterans’ house usually contain less asbestos than houses from later decades. Most of these houses, however, were renovated in the 1960s to 1980s, and the materials from those renovations, such as vinyl flooring, tiling, wall boards and pipe insulation, may contain asbestos. That is why the layers added later are the main focus before a renovation.
Is there asbestos in a post-war veterans’ house?
Finland’s post-war veterans’ houses were built mostly of wood: a timber frame, board cladding, sawdust insulation and timber floor structures. The use of asbestos in building products peaked only in the 1960s and 1970s, so the original structures typically contain fewer asbestos-containing materials than, say, a detached house from the 1970s.
Less does not mean none, though. Even in the original house, asbestos may be present in fire protection around stoves and flues, in the seals of fireplaces and in mortars. The bigger question is still what has been added to the house over the decades.
These houses were modest to begin with. Washing facilities might have been in the basement or in a separate sauna building, and the house was heated with wood-burning stoves. As living standards rose, indoor bathrooms, central heating and new floor and wall surfaces were added. Those changes often happened during exactly the years when asbestos use was at its height.
Which renovation layers are a risk in a post-war house?
Almost every veterans’ house has had at least one major renovation, often several. When the houses were modernised in the 1960s to 1980s, they received exactly the kinds of materials in which asbestos was common. Typical materials examined are:
- Vinyl flooring and its adhesive in the kitchen, hallway and washrooms, often laid over the original board floor. Read more about asbestos in vinyl flooring.
- Tiling in bathrooms, saunas and kitchens: tile adhesive, grout and the filler beneath the tiles.
- Wall boards and fillers used to cover or level walls and ceilings over the old surface.
- Asbestos-cement roofs and facades, meaning corrugated roof sheets, roof slates and facade panels fitted to replace old roofing or cladding.
- Pipe insulation added when the house got central heating, a boiler or new water pipes. It is typically found in the basement and boiler room.
- Around stoves and flues: fire protection boards behind a stove or boiler, sealing compounds at flue connections, and rebuilt masonry.
The same material can turn up in different parts of the house from different periods. A kitchen floor may have three layers of vinyl on top of each other, each from a different decade. Window putty and seals have often been renewed during renovations too, and they are examined if windows or doors are replaced.
Why does a 1950s house need a survey before renovation?
The law does not look at the year of construction alone. A survey is required before renovation and demolition work when a building was built before 1994 or the materials being worked on date from before 1994. The requirement is based on Finland’s Asbestos Act (684/2015) and the Government Decree on the safety of asbestos work (798/2015). A post-war veterans’ house always meets that condition.
In practice, the renovation layers in a veterans’ house match the materials of houses from the decade when the renovation was done. If the bathroom was built in the 1960s, it makes sense to treat it as the bathroom of a 1960s house. The same applies to renovations from the 1970s and 1980s. The age of the house tells you a survey is needed. The renovation history tells you what the survey should look for.
How to find out the renovation history
- Ask the previous owner or check the sale documents for what was renewed and when.
- Look for old drawings, receipts and building permit documents.
- Check floor edges, thresholds and floor hatches: they often show how many layers the floor has.
- See what pipes, insulation and boards are in the basement and attic.
Which renovations of a post-war house require a survey?
The survey focuses on the structures the renovation affects. In veterans’ houses it is typically needed for these jobs:
- Floor renovation, when old vinyl is lifted or the floor is opened down to the original boards.
- Renewing wet rooms: bathroom, sauna and utility room.
- Kitchen renovation involving removal of flooring, splashback tiling or wall surfaces.
- Replacing the roof, if there is an old asbestos-cement roof sheet underneath.
- Facade renovation and extra insulation, when old cladding or boarding is removed.
- Changing the heating system, for example removing an old boiler and pipes.
- Chimney and fireplace work, such as relining a flue, dismantling a stove or installing a new fireplace.
The original materials are examined too if the renovation reaches them, because the full history of the house is rarely known.
How is an asbestos survey of a post-war house carried out?
The surveyor goes through the rooms and structures the renovation affects and takes a sample from every layer that dates from before 1994. In a veterans’ house this often means sampling several stacked layers in floors, walls and wet rooms. The material is wetted before sampling and each sample is sealed straight away. Tell the surveyor in advance what you know about the house’s renovations, so the samples can be aimed at the right layers.
The samples are analysed in the laboratory with a JEOL SEM-EDS electron microscope, and the report usually arrives within 1 working day of the visit. Depending on the city, a survey costs from 119 € incl. VAT, and the price includes the survey, all samples, the laboratory analysis, travel and the report. If the whole house is being demolished, 100 € is added for a demolition project. The surveyor visits on site in Southern Finland. Elsewhere in Finland, a single material can be sent for analysis by post for 39,90 € + VAT per sample.
If the report shows asbestos-containing materials, they are removed by an authorised asbestos removal contractor before the rest of the renovation. Planning to renovate a post-war veterans’ house? Order an asbestos survey before a single layer comes off.