Five Possible Health Hazards Of Moving Into An Older Home

If you're like many of those who choose to purchase a vintage home, you're undoubtedly looking forward to spending many happy years living in an environment that offers abundant old-school charm and grace. There's something about old homes with character that causes people to lovingly restore them to their former beauty. However, that former beauty can come with a price if your restoration projects stop at cosmetic improvements only. Unfortunately, older homes often come with specific health hazards that should be addressed and fixed before you and your family move in. The following are five of the major issues that older homes have that have the potential to harm the health of household residents. 

Lead Plumbing Pipes

Plumbing pipes were once made of lead, so be sure to check to see if your home has the original plumbing and also have your water tested for lead. North American homes built before 1950 are likely to have lead pipes. The adverse health effects of lead on the human body have the potential to be very serious. They may include kidney and liver damage, brain damage, and damage to the central nervous system. Children are at particular risk of being harmed by ingesting lead through drinking water or food. 

Lead Paint

Lead paint presents another potential health risk to those living in vintage homes. The paint in homes built before 1978 should be tested for the presence of lead. Depending on your level of expertise with home maintenance and improvement projects, you may be able to remove the paint yourself, but if you lack experience or simply don't have the time, you can always hire a professional to do the job. However, before you decide to do it yourself, check with your municipal, county, and state codes — some jurisdictions require you to hire a contractor with current lead paint removal certification. 

Abandoned Wells

Abandoned wells are usually associated with safety risks because when accidentally opened, children, domestic pets, and even adults have been known to fall down them. However, they also pose serious health risks because they provide a prime habitat for colonies of bacteria that may proceed to enter the groundwater. Sometimes, those who purchase vintage homes have no idea that there is an abandoned well on the property because it was sealed up before counties started keeping records of this sort of thing, so your real estate agent may have no idea either. Signs that there may be an abandoned well on the property include pipes sticking up from the ground, slight depressions in the ground, and small buildings or old windmills.

Insect and Rodent Pests

Insect and rodent pests can be present anywhere under the right circumstances, but they're more likely to occur in older homes than in their younger counterparts. Thanks to advances in construction technology, new homes feature airtight seals on windows and doors, making it very difficult for pests to gain access to home interiors. Older homes, however, are a different story, and there are many access points available to opportunistic insects and rodents. Rats, mice, and cockroaches all carry diseases with the potential to cause serious health problems in humans, including cholera, typhoid, and hantavirus. The presence of pest populations may not be immediately evident because they've burrowed deep into the walls. 

Asbestos 

Inhaling asbestos fibers may cause lung disease and cancer, so be sure to have asbestos testing performed if you're purchased a home that was built prior to 1980. Those who decide to go the do-it-yourself route concerning renovation and remodeling projects are at particular risk because they may inadvertently contaminate the air with asbestos fibers. Typically used as an insulating material, asbestos is commonly found in walls, around pipes, and in subflooring.  Contact your local asbestos testing service today to learn more.