The short answer
Asbestos may be present in any house built or refurbished before 2000. UKHSA notes that blue and brown asbestos imports were banned in 1985 and white asbestos in 1999. The materials you’re likely to meet change with the age of the building, but homes are altered over the decades, so a 1930s house can have 1970s ceilings and a 1990s garage. Use the guide below as a starting point, not a diagnosis.
1930s and earlier
Most inter-war houses were built with traditional materials. Asbestos often arrived later, through repairs and upgrades. Look for:
- insulation on old heating pipes and boilers, especially in cellars;
- later textured ceilings and floor tiles;
- cement flue pipes, gutters and downpipes fitted as replacements;
- panels behind or around old fireplaces and heaters.
Post-war prefabs and 1950s homes
After the war, materials were scarce and homes were needed quickly. Some temporary prefab bungalows and system-built houses used asbestos cement panels for walls and roofs. Many 1950s homes can contain:
- asbestos cement roof sheets, wall panels and flues;
- insulating board around boilers, in airing cupboards and on ceilings;
- thermoplastic or vinyl floor tiles and black bitumen adhesive;
- cement water tanks in lofts.
Insulating board is a higher-risk material, and most work on it must be done by a contractor holding an HSE licence.
1960s and 1970s homes
This was a period of heavy asbestos use in building, so homes from these decades often deserve the closest look. Common places include:
- soffits and fascias, often insulating board or cement;
- textured coatings on ceilings and walls;
- panels under stairs, on fire doors and around built-in cupboards;
- insulation on pipes and in some older boilers and heaters;
- floor tiles, roof felt and cement guttering.
1980s and 1990s homes
Use fell after the 1985 ban on blue and brown asbestos imports, but white asbestos remained legal until 1999. Homes from these years can still contain asbestos cement products, such as roof slates, soffits, flues and garage roofs, as well as some textured coatings and floor tiles. HSE says buildings constructed after 2000 are unlikely to contain asbestos.
Garages, sheds and outbuildings
Whatever the age of the house, outbuildings are among the most common places to find asbestos. Corrugated cement roofs and wall sheets were popular for garages, sheds, lean-tos and porch canopies. See is my garage roof asbestos? and our guide to cement sheets. Sectional concrete garages can also have cement roofs.
Council-built estates and flats
Many post-war council estates were built quickly, sometimes with system-building methods. Houses and flats from this era can contain the same materials listed above. Many have been refurbished since, with some asbestos removed and some left in place.
If you rent from a council or housing association, ask them what records they hold for your home. If you own a former council house, the council may not hold current information, so a survey is worth considering before work. In blocks of flats, the shared areas fall under the duty to manage, so the landlord or managing agent should hold a register for them.
How to find out for sure
You can’t identify asbestos by looking alone. If you’re planning work, a survey before renovation is the safest route. For a single item, sampling and testing is often enough. Don’t break off samples yourself. Ask us for a quote.
Quick answers
Does a 1930s house contain asbestos?
It can, usually from later work such as textured ceilings, floor tiles, heating insulation or replacement flues and gutters.
Are 1960s and 1970s houses higher risk?
They often contain more asbestos products, but material in good condition that isn’t disturbed is generally low risk.
My house was built in 1998. Can it contain asbestos?
It can. White asbestos was not banned until 1999, so test anything suspect before work.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. For the law itself, see the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 and HSE’s asbestos pages. Not sure what you’re dealing with? Ask us.