--- title: "Where Is Asbestos in Old St. Louis Houses? A Job-by-Job Check" description: "About 87% of St. Louis city homes predate 1980. See which asbestos materials your next repair or remodel can disturb, and what to check first." url: https://www.aes-stl.com/blog/where-is-asbestos-in-old-st-louis-houses publisher: Advanced Environmental Services phone: +1-314-865-2662 quote: https://www.aes-stl.com/contact --- Local: 6 min read, published June 1, 2026 # Where Is Asbestos in Old St. Louis Houses? A Job-by-Job Check Asbestos in an old house usually sits in floor tile and glue, pipe and furnace wrap, textured ceilings and patching compound, siding and roofing shingles, and pour-in vermiculite insulation. About 87% of St. Louis city housing units were built before 1980. You cannot spot it by sight, so match each planned job to the material it would disturb, then test. [Request a Quote](https://www.aes-stl.com/contact)[(314) 865-2662](tel:+1-314-865-2662) ![AES abatement workers in white protective suits and respirators scraping a building wall from scaffolding](https://www.aes-stl.com/_astro/099.DIly0KOe_QvKKD.webp) ![Building wrapped in white containment sheeting with an AES storage container in front](https://www.aes-stl.com/_astro/AESI-083.BQiJ3BQs_Z1FKjAJ.webp) ![AES worker in a respirator and protective suit scraping wall coating from a scaffold inside plastic containment](https://www.aes-stl.com/_astro/100.Beg0SK9K_Z2cMAXv.webp) ## Where is asbestos in an old St. Louis house? It most often hides in six places: floor tile and the black glue under it, wrap on pipes and furnaces, textured ceilings and patching compound, siding and roofing shingles, pour-in attic insulation, and door gaskets on old stoves and furnaces. The EPA lists these. None of them are visible as asbestos. A lab has to say so. Our [guide to asbestos in older St. Louis homes](https://www.aes-stl.com/guides/asbestos-in-older-st-louis-homes) lists materials room by room. This post takes a different path. It starts from the job you plan to do and tells you which material that job can disturb. That is the order that matters, because the EPA says fibers are released by “the disturbance of asbestos-containing material during product use, demolition work, building or home maintenance, repair, and remodeling.” ## How old are St. Louis houses, really? Most are old enough to worry about. Census data for 2024 show that 152,091 of 174,694 housing units in St. Louis city, about 87%, were built before 1980. In St. Louis County, 301,975 of 447,542 units, about 67%, were built before 1980. The city also has 98,061 units, about 56%, built in 1939 or earlier. Housing units (ACS 2024 1-year) City of St. Louis St. Louis County All units 174,694 447,542 Built before 1980 152,091 (about 87%) 301,975 (about 67%) Built 1939 or earlier 98,061 (about 56%) 41,106 (about 9%) Built 1980 to 1989 4,693 (about 3%) 57,129 (about 13%) Do not read “pre-1940” as “safe.” Missouri DNR says asbestos “was used in a number of different materials” until the 1970s. A brick house from the 1920s may still have a furnace, flooring, siding or patching added in a 1950s to 1970s update. The year built tells you where to look. It does not clear a house. ## Which repair or remodel will disturb which material? Match your project to the materials in the table below. If the job is in the right-hand column, test before you start. Job you plan Suspect material in the way EPA or DNR source Replace or pull up old flooring Vinyl floor tile, sheet flooring backing, black glue EPA: “Vinyl floor tiles and the backing on vinyl sheet flooring and adhesives” Scrape, sand or drill a ceiling or wall Textured paint and patching compounds EPA: “Textured paint and patching compounds used on walls and ceilings” Replace a boiler, furnace or water heater, or move pipes Pipe wrap, boiler insulation, furnace insulation and door gaskets EPA: “Hot water and steam pipes coated with asbestos material or covered with an asbestos blanket or tape” Replace siding or reroof Siding and roofing shingles EPA: “Roofing and siding shingles” Add insulation, rewire in the attic, or store boxes there Pour-in vermiculite EPA: “pebble-like, pour-in product” Remove a wall-mounted wood stove or rebuild a hearth Asbestos paper, millboard or cement sheet around the stove EPA: walls and floors around wood-burning stoves Note what the table leaves out: a closed, dry, untouched material. The EPA says exposure generally happens only when asbestos-containing material is disturbed or damaged. An intact floor under carpet is a different risk from a floor you are about to grind. ## What can I check myself without touching anything? You can look, take photos and write notes. You cannot sample. The EPA says “Taking samples yourself is not recommended,” and that sampling done wrong can be more hazardous than leaving the material alone. Use this no-touch walk-through. 1. Write down the year built and every remodel you know of. Ask the seller, the previous owner or a neighbor. 2. Start in the basement. Photograph pipe wrap, boiler or furnace jackets, and the furnace door gasket. 3. Look at each one for what the EPA names as damage: tears, abrasions and water damage. 4. Check floors under carpet at a vent opening or doorway where the edge is already exposed. Photograph it. Do not pry or cut. 5. Look at ceilings for sprayed or textured coatings, and note any water stains. 6. In the attic, look from the hatch only. If you see gray-brown or silver-gold pebbles, treat them as vermiculite and stay out. 7. Walk the outside. Note siding and roofing type, and any cracked or broken pieces. 8. List the jobs you plan in the next two years, then mark which ones touch a material above. Bring the notes and photos to the inspector. They shorten the visit and make the sample plan sharper. ## Which of these materials is the biggest worry? It depends on the form. Hard cement products are the lowest risk until someone cuts them. The CPSC says asbestos cement roofing, shingles and siding “are not likely to release asbestos fibers unless sawed, drilled, or cut” (the CPSC page prints “dilled”). Sprayed, wrapped or crumbly material is the opposite case. Material Form Where fibers get released Siding and roofing shingles Hard asbestos cement Sawing, drilling or cutting Floor tile and glue Hard tile, soft black mastic Pulling up, grinding or scraping Pipe, boiler and furnace wrap Wrapped blanket or paper tape Damage, repair or poor removal Textured ceilings and patching compound Painted or troweled coating Sanding, scraping or drilling Pour-in attic insulation Loose pebbles Any disturbance The CPSC also notes that “Houses built between 1930 and 1950 may have asbestos as insulation.” That fits St. Louis, where 56% of city units were built in 1939 or earlier. Its advice before a remodel is plain: “Before you have your house remodeled, find out whether asbestos materials are present.” ## What about vermiculite in the attic? Treat it as asbestos and leave it alone. The EPA says a mine near Libby, Montana, was the source of over 70 percent of all vermiculite sold in the United States from 1919 to 1990, and that this vermiculite was contaminated with asbestos and often sold as Zonolite. Our [vermiculite attic insulation](https://www.aes-stl.com/vermiculite-attic-insulation-removal) page covers removal. For this post, the point is simple: an attic that holds loose pebbles is not a place to run wiring, store boxes or let children play. ## When is damage a reason to act now? Act soon when material is torn, crumbling, wet or rubbed by daily traffic. The EPA says damaged material may release fibers, especially if you often disturb it by hitting, rubbing or handling it. Pipe wrap in a walkway, a worn furnace gasket and water-stained ceiling texture are the usual cases. [Friable](https://www.aes-stl.com/glossary/friable-asbestos) material crumbles by hand pressure when dry, such as boiler insulation or paper pipe insulation, according to Missouri DNR. [Non-friable](https://www.aes-stl.com/glossary/non-friable-asbestos) material, such as floor tile, is bound in a hard product. Friable material in poor shape is the urgent case. Intact non-friable material can wait for your remodel, but it should be tested before the work. ## How do I confirm what I have? Hire a certified inspector to sample and send the samples to a lab. The result tells you which materials contain asbestos, where they are, and what condition they are in. Our [asbestos testing](https://www.aes-stl.com/asbestos-testing) and [asbestos survey](https://www.aes-stl.com/asbestos-survey) pages explain what you get. AES staff include AHERA Certified Building Inspectors, and Mr. Ruckman is trained and certified as an Asbestos Inspector and Supervisor. Once you know, you have three choices: leave it, seal it, or remove it. The [testing guide for older St. Louis homes](https://www.aes-stl.com/guides/testing-an-older-st-louis-home) walks through that decision. Material-specific pages cover [floor tile](https://www.aes-stl.com/asbestos-floor-tile), [siding](https://www.aes-stl.com/asbestos-siding-removal), [pipe insulation](https://www.aes-stl.com/asbestos-pipe-insulation-removal) and [popcorn ceilings](https://www.aes-stl.com/asbestos-popcorn-ceiling-removal). Work above Missouri’s thresholds needs a registered contractor, covered in our [asbestos abatement](https://www.aes-stl.com/asbestos-abatement) service. ## Next step If you plan to remodel an older St. Louis home, test the materials the job will touch before you start. Call Advanced Environmental Services at (314) 865-2662 or use our [contact page](https://www.aes-stl.com/contact) to ask about [asbestos testing](https://www.aes-stl.com/asbestos-testing). Do not remove or cut anything while you wait. ## Frequently asked questions ### Where is asbestos most often found in an old house? The EPA lists vermiculite attic and wall insulation, vinyl floor tile and sheet flooring backing and adhesives, roofing and siding shingles, textured paint and patching compounds, asbestos-wrapped pipes, and furnaces with asbestos insulation or door gaskets. Start with the places you plan to repair or remodel. ### Can I tell if my old house has asbestos by looking? No. The EPA says you generally cannot tell by looking, unless a product is labeled. Age, color and texture are clues only. A trained and accredited professional takes samples, and a lab reports the result. Do not break or cut material to check. ### Is a house built before 1940 safe from asbestos? Not automatically. Missouri DNR says asbestos was used in many materials until the 1970s. An older house can still hold floor, furnace, siding or patching materials added in a later remodel. Test the specific material you plan to disturb instead of relying on the year built. ### Do I have to test my whole house for asbestos? No. The EPA says you do not need to test if building materials are undamaged and will not be disturbed. Test when you plan to remodel, when materials are damaged, or when you buy an older home. Test only the areas the work will touch. ### What should I do if I find damaged pipe wrap or crumbling material? Do not touch it, sweep it or vacuum it. The EPA says damaged material may release fibers. Keep people away from the area, then call a certified inspector to sample it. Repair or removal belongs to a trained and accredited professional. ## Terms on this page - [Asbestos-containing material (ACM)](https://www.aes-stl.com/glossary/asbestos-containing-material-acm) - [Asbestos survey](https://www.aes-stl.com/glossary/asbestos-survey) - [Mastic](https://www.aes-stl.com/glossary/mastic) ## Sources 1. [US EPA: Learn About Asbestos (disturbance)](https://www.epa.gov/asbestos/learn-about-asbestos) 2. [US EPA: Learn About Asbestos (floors)](https://www.epa.gov/asbestos/learn-about-asbestos) 3. [US EPA: Learn About Asbestos (ceilings and walls)](https://www.epa.gov/asbestos/learn-about-asbestos) 4. [US EPA: Learn About Asbestos (pipes)](https://www.epa.gov/asbestos/learn-about-asbestos) 5. [US EPA: Protect Your Family from Exposures to Asbestos (sampling)](https://www.epa.gov/asbestos/protect-your-family-exposures-asbestos) 6. [US EPA: Protect Your Family from Exposures to Asbestos (signs of damage)](https://www.epa.gov/asbestos/protect-your-family-exposures-asbestos) 7. [US EPA: Protect Your Family from Asbestos-Contaminated Vermiculite Insulation](https://www.epa.gov/asbestos/protect-your-family-asbestos-contaminated-vermiculite-insulation) 8. [US EPA: Protect Your Family from Asbestos-Contaminated Vermiculite Insulation (Libby)](https://www.epa.gov/asbestos/protect-your-family-asbestos-contaminated-vermiculite-insulation) 9. [US CPSC: Asbestos in the Home (insulation by era)](https://www.cpsc.gov/safety-education/safety-guides/home/asbestos-home) 10. [US CPSC: Asbestos in the Home (remodeling)](https://www.cpsc.gov/safety-education/safety-guides/home/asbestos-home) 11. [US CPSC: Asbestos in the Home (cement siding and shingles)](https://www.cpsc.gov/safety-education/safety-guides/home/asbestos-home) 12. [Missouri DNR: Asbestos](https://dnr.mo.gov/air/business-industry/asbestos) 13. [Missouri DNR: Asbestos Requirements for Demolition and Renovation Projects (PUB2157)](https://dnr.mo.gov/document-search/asbestos-requirements-demolition-renovation-projects-pub2157/pub2157) 14. [US Census Bureau: ACS 2024 1-year, table B25034 Year Structure Built, St. Louis city (via Census Reporter)](https://api.censusreporter.org/1.0/data/show/latest?table_ids=B25034&geo_ids=05000US29510,05000US29189) 15. [US Census Bureau: ACS 2024 1-year, table B25034 Year Structure Built, St. Louis County (via Census Reporter)](https://api.censusreporter.org/1.0/data/show/latest?table_ids=B25034&geo_ids=05000US29510,05000US29189) Written by Advanced Environmental Services and checked against the sources above on June 1, 2026. Rules change, so check the linked page before you act. ## Keep reading - [Asbestos in older St. Louis homes: where it hides and what to doAsbestos can hide in floor tile, floor adhesive, siding, roof shingles, textured walls, pipe wrap, furnace parts and attic insulation. About 87% of St. Louis city housing units and 68% of St. Louis County units were built before 1980. The only way to know is a lab test from a certified inspector.](https://www.aes-stl.com/guides/asbestos-in-older-st-louis-homes) - [Testing an older St. Louis home: which test applies when you buy, sell or renovateWhich test applies depends on what you are doing. Selling or buying a pre-1978 home triggers federal lead disclosure. Renovating or demolishing a regulated building triggers an asbestos inspection and notice. The City of St. Louis requires an occupancy inspection on sales. No federal standard sets a mold limit, so a mold test is your choice.](https://www.aes-stl.com/guides/testing-an-older-st-louis-home) - [What Year Did They Stop Using Asbestos in Homes? No Single YearAES says asbestos was widely used in building materials up until the mid-1980s, and no single year clears a house. Bans came in pieces: spray-applied surfacing in 1973, pipe insulation in 1975, patching compounds in 1978, a broad rule in 1989 that a court overturned in 1991, and chrysotile in 2024. Libby vermiculite sold until 1990.](https://www.aes-stl.com/blog/what-year-did-they-stop-using-asbestos-in-homes) - [What drives asbestos removal costAsbestos removal cost depends mainly on how much material there is, where it sits, how hard it is to reach, and what testing, notice fees and disposal the job needs. Angi's 2026 national average is $2,260. AES publishes no asbestos prices and quotes each job after a survey.](https://www.aes-stl.com/guides/asbestos-removal-cost) - [Demolition in Missouri, From Survey to Debris: Every Step in OrderA Missouri demolition starts with a survey for asbestos, lead and mold, not with equipment. Next come notices to DNR or the city, utility disconnects and abatement. Only then does teardown begin, followed by salvage sorting and hauling debris to a regulated landfill. Each step protects the next one.](https://www.aes-stl.com/guides/demolition-from-survey-to-debris) - [Missouri asbestos rules for demolition and renovation: who you notify and whenIn Missouri, a regulated demolition or renovation needs an inspection by a certified asbestos inspector and a notice at least 10 working days before work starts. Thresholds of 160 square feet, 260 linear feet or 35 cubic feet trigger removal by a registered contractor. Most single-family homes are exempt.](https://www.aes-stl.com/guides/missouri-demolition-and-renovation-asbestos-rules) ## Request your custom environmental remediation estimate Contact us for a free environmental remediation or restoration estimate and a personalized solution to your problems. [Or call (314) 865-2662](tel:+1-314-865-2662)