Lest you think all we’re doing is buying random antiques (exhibit A and B), I dug through my “to be posted” list and came up with this safety reminder. As with any “pre-owned home” that was built in the mid century, we had a few concerns about potentially hazardous materials lurking within. Three materials were causing us to worry a little.
Upstairs the original paint (see red and beige in the living room) made us wonder what kind of lead was within.
We also had a few asbestos concerns. The plaster in the upstairs living room:
And some original pipes in the basement:
Before diving into the upstairs living room overhaul, Aaron took to the internet and found a company that would economically test all of our materials. (We have since lost our reports and the name of the company… because renovations.) He grabbed a few samples of each area for testing.
A few weeks later we had our results. Paint in the living room:
Lead free!
Plaster in the living room:
Asbestos free!
And pipe wrap in the basement:
Womp, womp! We’ve got asbestos.
Honestly, this was the material we were most worried about. The good news is we have no plans to disturb these pipes, so we can coexist without fear. The bad news is that if those plans change, we’ll be in for a hefty asbestos removal bill.