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Canadian homeowner's guide

Asbestos in Canadian homes

If your house was built or last renovated before the mid-1990s, it may contain asbestos. Here's when it was used, in what materials, and what to do about it, without disturbing anything you shouldn't.

The short answer: Asbestos was widely used in Canadian home construction from the 1930s to the late 1980s, with some materials appearing into the mid-1990s. New use was federally banned in 2018. If your home dates from before 1990, you should assume asbestos may be present in certain materials and test before you cut, sand, drill, or demolish them.

By AsbestosExposure.ca editorial team
Last reviewed · Editorial policy

When Canadian homes used asbestos, by decade

Asbestos was cheap, fireproof, insulating, and easy to add to almost any product, which is why it ended up in more than 3,000 different construction materials. Different materials had different peak periods in Canada:

Pre-1930

Limited residential use. Asbestos was already being mined in Quebec but was primarily used in industrial and shipbuilding applications. Older homes from this era can still contain asbestos in later-added insulation and repairs.

1930s - 1940s

Asbestos becomes common in furnace and boiler insulation ("pipe wrap"), duct wrap, and some roofing products. Vermiculite attic insulation begins to appear.

1950s

Peak of asbestos use in Canadian homes begins. Vinyl-asbestos floor tiles (typically 9x9 inch), asbestos-cement siding and roofing shingles, plaster and drywall joint compound, textured coatings ("popcorn"/stipple), acoustic ceiling tiles, and pipe insulation are all common.

1960s - 1970s

Continued heavy use in residential construction. Vermiculite attic insulation, particularly the Zonolite brand from the Libby, Montana mine, is widely installed. Retrofits into older homes are common through federal energy-efficiency grant programs (Canadian Home Insulation Program grants ran 1977-1984).

1980s

Use in new construction declines through the decade as liability concerns mount and Canadian codes shift. Crocidolite (blue asbestos) is federally banned in 1985. Chrysotile products continue to be sold and installed. Renovation of older homes continues to disturb existing asbestos.

1990s

Most new-construction use ends. Some products (drywall joint compound, some cement products, brake pads in vehicles) continue on shelves and are installed into the mid-1990s. Vermiculite continues to be installed in some homes into the 1990s.

2000 - 2018

Continued controlled use in industry. Residential exposure is mostly from legacy materials already in place. Older homes continue to be renovated, sometimes disturbing asbestos.

December 2018

Federal ban on import, sale, and new use of asbestos and asbestos-containing products takes effect. See our full ban timeline.

The 20 places asbestos most commonly hides in Canadian homes

Not every material below contains asbestos in every home. But if your home is pre-1990 and you find one of these, testing before disturbance is the responsible move.

Vermiculite attic insulation (Zonolite)

Typical era: 1940s-1990s

Loose, pebbly, gold-brown to grey. Assume asbestos until tested.

Deep dive >

Popcorn / stipple ceilings

Typical era: 1950s-mid-1980s

Sprayed textured ceiling coating. Common in bedrooms and basements.

Deep dive >

Drywall joint compound (mud/tape)

Typical era: 1940s-late 1980s

The white filler at drywall seams and screw holes. Frequently overlooked.

Vinyl floor tiles (9x9 inch)

Typical era: 1950s-1980s

Distinctive 9x9 sizing. Adhesive/mastic under the tile is often also asbestos-containing.

Sheet vinyl flooring backing

Typical era: 1950s-1980s

The paper-like backing on old sheet vinyl. Adhesive as well.

Pipe insulation ("pipe wrap")

Typical era: 1930s-1980s

White chalky wrap on hot-water pipes and boilers. Highest-risk when damaged.

Boiler and furnace insulation

Typical era: 1930s-1980s

Coating around old boilers, ducts, and jackets.

HVAC duct wrap and gaskets

Typical era: 1940s-1980s

Ribbon-like wrap; also flange gaskets and tape at duct joints.

Asbestos-cement siding

Typical era: 1940s-1980s

Thin grey shingle-like siding, sometimes called "transite".

Asbestos-cement (transite) pipe

Typical era: 1940s-1980s

Old sewer and water supply pipes in some Canadian homes and municipalities.

Roofing shingles and felt

Typical era: 1930s-1980s

Some asphalt shingles and roofing felts contain chrysotile as reinforcement.

Textured plaster and stucco

Typical era: 1940s-1980s

Some interior plaster and exterior stucco mixes.

Acoustic ceiling tiles

Typical era: 1950s-1980s

Suspended ceiling tiles in basements and rec rooms.

Wood-stove and fireplace surrounds

Typical era: 1940s-1980s

Millboard, cement board, and gaskets around stoves and fireplaces.

Electrical panel insulation

Typical era: 1940s-1980s

Insulating board behind old fuse and breaker panels.

Cement asbestos backer board

Typical era: 1950s-1980s

Behind tile in bathrooms, kitchens, and around fireplaces.

Textured paints and coatings

Typical era: 1950s-1980s

Some interior/exterior textured coatings included chrysotile.

Caulking, putties, and sealants

Typical era: 1930s-1980s

Some window putty, chimney flashing, and gasket sealants.

Attic and wall loose-fill insulation (non-vermiculite)

Typical era: 1930s-1970s

Some blown-in insulation used asbestos as an additive.

Automotive brake and clutch parts

Typical era: 1930s-1990s

Not the house, but the garage, old brake pads and clutch plates can shed fibres.

What not to do

Almost all asbestos-related home exposure comes from someone disturbing a material without knowing what it was. Left alone, most asbestos-containing materials release very few fibres. Cut, sanded, drilled, or broken, they can release millions per cubic metre of air. Specifically:

  • Do not sand or scrape textured (popcorn/stipple) ceilings in a pre-1985 home.
  • Do not pull up 9x9 inch vinyl floor tiles without testing the tile and the mastic.
  • Do not disturb vermiculite attic insulation for renovation, wiring runs, or plumbing.
  • Do not break, cut, or drill asbestos-cement siding or pipe.
  • Do not tear off pipe or boiler wrap that is not fully sealed and undamaged.
  • Do not attempt DIY removal of any of the above. Provincial workplace-safety laws exist because unmanaged disturbance is genuinely dangerous.

Doing any of these without a licensed contractor also has practical consequences: contaminating your home, exposing your family, and creating a mess that costs several times a professional removal to remediate.

Practical next steps

  1. Identify your suspect materials. Use the list above. Focus on what will be disturbed by whatever renovation or repair you're planning.
  2. Test before you cut. A PLM bulk sample from a CALA-accredited Canadian lab costs $25-$50. If you can, hire a professional to collect the sample; if you can't, follow the step-by-step protocol on our testing page.
  3. Positive result? Decide whether to leave in place (encapsulate and manage) or remove. For most homeowners, if the material is intact and won't be disturbed, leave-in-place is safer and cheaper.
  4. Removal required? Hire a contractor licensed by the workplace-safety authority in your province. Ask to see their notification to the provincial board before work begins.
  5. Insist on post-work air clearance testing (TEM) before re-occupying the area.

Not sure if you have asbestos in your home?

Testing is the only way to know. Read our full guide to Canadian asbestos testing, sample types, labs, costs, and how to read a report.

Read the testing guide

Sources & further reading

Corrections: info@asbestosexposure.ca. See our editorial policy.