Painting an Older BC Home: Asbestos Drywall, Lead Paint and the Rules

WorkSafeBC's Occupational Health and Safety Regulation requires an inspection for hazardous materials before renovation or demolition work begins. Asbestos products were so widely used before 1990 that buildings from that era need a hazardous materials survey before a crew disturbs drywall, plaster, ceiling texture, stucco or similar materials.

The survey is done by a qualified person, usually from an environmental or hazardous materials consulting firm. They take small samples from the work area, send them to an accredited lab, and write a report that says which materials contain asbestos, lead or other hazards, and where.

The rule exists to protect workers, so it applies whenever a contractor's crew does the disturbing. Homeowners doing their own work face exactly the same health risk, and some Okanagan municipalities ask for survey results when a renovation needs a permit.

When people search for asbestos drywall in BC, the concern is usually the joint compound, or drywall mud, rather than the gypsum board itself. Older compounds and spray-on textures are where asbestos most often turns up, and the board less commonly. No one can tell by looking, which is why a lab sample matters more than a guess based on the house's age.

If you are planning larger repairs alongside the repaint, our drywall repair and painting and wallpaper removal pages explain how those jobs run once testing is complete.

1. 1

   We ask the year built

   At the walkthrough we ask when the house was built and exactly what work you want. If nothing in the scope disturbs suspect materials, the job is quoted and scheduled as usual.

2. 2

   A consultant samples the work area

   If the scope does touch suspect materials, a qualified consultant samples only the areas involved. For a few rooms this is normally one short site visit.

3. 3

   The lab reports back

   Accredited labs commonly return results within a few business days, and many offer rush service for an extra fee. We hold the start date or reorder the rooms so testing does not stall the whole project.

4. 4

   The scope adjusts to the results

   Negative results mean normal prep goes ahead. Positive results mean a licensed abatement contractor deals with the material first, or the plan changes to avoid disturbing it, such as leaving a sound textured ceiling alone.

5. 5

   Painting resumes

   Once abatement is finished and the area has been cleared, we patch, prime and paint. The finished walls look like any other repaint.

Testing and abatement are billed by those specialists, separate from our painting quote. Their cost depends on how many samples are needed and what turns up, so ask the consultant for a price before sampling. For our own painting prices, see painting costs in Kelowna.