Hi Reader,
Last week we talked about contingency funds and why renovations need a bigger buffer than new builds. The short answer is: you never really know what's hiding behind the walls until you open them.
But there is one thing that can help you take a more educated guess, and that’s the age of your home.
Era of construction is one of the most reliable clues a contractor has before a single wall gets opened. Different decades mean different materials, different codes… and different problems.
Here are some of the most common issues you might find in homes across the decades:
1920s–30s:
- Knob and tube wiring. This legally MUST be replaced once you find it.
- Galvanized steel pipes that rust from the inside out.
- Lead paint was used from this time period up until it was banned in the ‘70s. It’s still present under newer coats of paint in a huge number of older homes.
- Newspaper was commonly used as insulation.
1940s–50s:
- Asbestos starts showing up in this era and runs all the way through to the '80s. It was used in a lot of different ways. Some of the most common are attic insulation, popcorn ceilings, floor tiles and adhesives, pipe insulation, and drywall compound.
- Copper pipes begin replacing galvanized steel, but older copper wears down and can develop pinholes, which mean leaks and water damage.
- Electrical panels in this era often topped out at 60 amps, nowhere near enough for a modern home.
1960s–70s:
- Aluminum wiring, a fire hazard, was commonly used from the mid-60s to the mid-70s when copper prices spiked.
- Polybutylene pipes started appearing at the tail end of the '70s. Also known as Poly-B, they degrade from the inside out when exposed to chlorinated water and can fail without warning.
1980s:
- Use of Poly-B pipes was widespread through the ‘80s and into the mid-'90s.
- Synthetic stucco (also known as EIFS) created serious moisture problems, especially here on the rainy West Coast.
1990s–2000s:
- Poly-B pipes were still being installed into the mid-'90s.
- OSB (chipboard) starts replacing plywood as a structural sheathing — it's fine when dry, but doesn't handle moisture exposure well.
I don’t say this to scare you off renovating, but to help you walk in with your eyes open.
Before you budget any renovation, find out exactly when your home was built. Then have a conversation with your contractor about what you might be inheriting from that era.
It’s no insurance against surprises, but it’s a good place to start anticipating what you might find behind the walls.
Have you renovated an older home? What did you uncover that you weren’t expecting? Hit reply and let me know what you’d add to this list.
Have a great weekend,
Gerald
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