7 Asbestos Containing Materials You Should Know Before Remodeling

If you're planning a renovation — whether it's a kitchen remodel, a bathroom update, or pulling up old flooring — there's one step that is required at the very top of your checklist: finding out if your home contains asbestos.

Asbestos isn't just an "old buildings" problem. It was used so widely in Canadian construction that homes built or renovated before 1990 have a real chance of hiding asbestos-containing material in places you'd never think to look. Disturbing those materials without knowing what you're dealing with is where things get dangerous — and expensive.

Here's what you need to know before the first wall comes down.

Why asbestos is still a concern in older homes

Asbestos was a popular building material for much of the 20th century, and for understandable reasons — it's fire-resistant, incredibly durable, and an excellent insulator. The problem is that when asbestos containing material is disturbed, it releases microscopic fibres into the air. Those fibres can lodge permanently in the lungs and, over time, lead to serious diseases including mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer.

Both Health Canada and the World Health Organization are clear: there is no safe level of asbestos exposure. Canada banned the use, sale, and import of asbestos in 2018 — but that ban doesn't remove the material already built into millions of homes across the country. If your home was constructed or renovated before 1990, you should assume asbestos containing material may be present until a certified asbestos surveyor says otherwise.

7 common asbestos containing materials to know

Asbestos was blended into dozens of different building products. The graphic below gives you a quick-reference overview — and it's worth saving if you're heading into a reno.

Here's a closer look at each one.

1. Popcorn and textured ceiling coatings

Spray-on acoustic ceiling texture — the bumpy "popcorn" finish — was used extensively from the 1950s through the 1980s. It was cheap, easy to apply, and great at hiding imperfections. It was also frequently made with asbestos. Any sanding, scraping, or water damage to this type of ceiling can release fibres. Even a fresh coat of paint that eventually cracks and flakes creates ongoing risk.

2. Vinyl floor tiles and sheet flooring

The 9"×9" vinyl floor tiles that were standard in kitchens, bathrooms, and basements from the 1950s onward are among the most common asbestos containing materials found in Canadian homes today. The mastic adhesive used to install them often contained asbestos too. Sheet flooring from the same era frequently had asbestos in its backing layer. These materials are relatively low-risk when left intact, but cutting, grinding, or pulling them up without proper testing is a serious hazard.

3. Drywall joint compound

Pre-mixed joint compound (also called "mud"), used to tape and finish drywall seams, was a common source of asbestos well into the 1970s. This matters because drywall work is one of the most routine renovation tasks there is — patching walls, adding outlets, opening up a room etc. If the compound in your walls contains asbestos, sanding it generates fine dust at exactly the fibre size that penetrates deepest into the lungs.

4. Pipe and duct insulation

Older homes with hot water or steam heating systems often have asbestos-containing insulation wrapped around pipes and around the boiler or furnace itself. Duct insulation in forced-air systems from the same era may also contain asbestos. This insulation deteriorates with age, and any renovation work near mechanical systems risks disturbing it and distributing it throughout your home.

5. Vermiculite attic insulation

Vermiculite is in a category of its own. A large majority of vermiculite insulation sold in North America before 1990 came from the Libby Mine in Montana, which was heavily contaminated with tremolite — a particularly dangerous form of asbestos. Health Canada advises homeowners to treat all pre-1990 vermiculite as if it contains asbestos, and to avoid disturbing it under any circumstances. If your attic has grey, pebble-like loose-fill insulation, avoid going up there or speak to a certified professional.

6. Exterior siding and roofing products

Asbestos cement was used in exterior cladding — most notably the flat or corrugated panels sometimes called "transite" siding — as well as in roofing shingles. These products are extremely durable, which is exactly why they're still found on so many buildings today. When intact, the risk is relatively low. But cutting, drilling, or breaking these materials generates hazardous dust immediately.

7. Textured paint and plaster

Decorative textured wall finishes and older plaster applications sometimes incorporated asbestos as a binder or filler. This one is harder to identify visually, which makes professional asbestos testing all the more important before any wall work begins.

Save this information for later:

Friable vs. non-friable: why condition matters

Not all asbestos containing material poses the same level of immediate risk. Friable asbestos can be crumbled or reduced to powder by hand — think deteriorating pipe insulation or damaged ceiling texture. These materials release fibres easily and require prompt professional attention.

Non-friable asbestos is bound firmly within a solid matrix and doesn't release fibres easily under normal conditions — intact vinyl tiles are a common example. The risk with non-friable materials comes during renovation, when cutting, grinding, or breaking them can suddenly make them very friable.

Canada's occupational health and safety regulations treat the two categories differently, but both require professional assessment before any disturbance during renovation work.

The only way to know for sure: professional testing

Asbestos containing material is invisible to the naked eye. You cannot identify it by appearance, smell, or texture alone. The only way to confirm whether a material contains asbestos is to have a sample gathered by a certified asbestos surveyor then analyzed by an accredited laboratory. 

The cost of pre-renovation asbestos testing is modest compared to the alternative: unknowingly disturbing asbestos, then dealing with contamination, full abatement costs, and the potential long-term health consequences for you and your family.

What happens if asbestos is found?

Testing coming back positive doesn't necessarily mean your renovation is derailed. It means the work needs to be done the right way.

Depending on the material, its condition, and where it's located, a certified remediation company will either encapsulate the asbestos (seal it so it can't release fibres) or perform a full abatement — removing the material under controlled conditions using specialized equipment, negative air pressure containment, and proper disposal in accordance with provincial regulations.

In British Columbia, asbestos abatement must be performed by trained and certified workers. Attempting to remove asbestos containing material yourself isn't just dangerous — in most jurisdictions, it's a regulatory violation.

Before you renovate, test

If your home was built before 1990 and you're planning any work that involves disturbing walls, ceilings, floors, or mechanical systems, asbestos testing belongs in your plan before demolition begins — not after something goes wrong.

ASB Environmental Services provides professional asbestos testing and remediation throughout the Greater Vancouver area, from the Lower Mainland to the Sea to Sky. If you're preparing for a renovation and want to know exactly what you're working with before work starts, contact our team to schedule an assessment.