Every construction era has its typical pollutants. If you know when your building was built, you can estimate fairly well what might be inside. Here is the overview — from Gründerzeit to new build.
Before 1945: Gründerzeit, Art Nouveau, Interwar Period
Typical pollutants:
- Lead paints: Lead white, red lead, lead chromate — in coatings on windows, doors, radiators, windowsills. In Viennese Gründerzeit buildings we regularly find lead in multiple paint layers stacked on top of each other. (→ Lead in Old Buildings)
- Tar products: PAH-containing sealants in basements and foundations. (→ PAH in Old Buildings)
- Wood preservatives: Partly older products, especially with visible timber framing. (→ Wood Preservatives)
- Radon: As with all construction years — dependent on geology and construction, not age. (→ Radon in Austria)
Typical for this era: High lead load, multiple paint layers. Asbestos still rare.
→ Detail page built before 1945
1945–1960: Post-War Reconstruction
Typical pollutants:
- Asbestos: Begins to appear as a building material — Eternit panels on roofs, first pipe wrappings. (→ Recognizing Asbestos)
- PAH adhesive: Black, tar-like adhesive under parquet floors — a classic of this era. (→ PAH in Old Buildings)
- Lead pipes: Still installed as drinking water pipes. (→ Lead in Old Buildings)
Typical for this era: Simple, fast construction methods. Asbestos roof, but less variety of pollutants than the next phase.
1960–1980: The Peak Phase
This is the era where pollutants stack up. In a typical building from the early 1970s we regularly find 3–4 different pollutants simultaneously.
Typical pollutants:
- Asbestos: Everywhere — roof (Eternit), facade, floor coverings (floor-flex tiles), pipe insulation, electrical installations, night storage heaters. (→ Recognizing Asbestos)
- PAH: Black parquet adhesive, roofing felt, sealants. (→ PAH in Old Buildings)
- PCB: Joint sealants in prefabricated and concrete buildings, especially permanently elastic joints on facades and between precast concrete elements. (→ PCB in Sealants)
- Lead pipes: Last generation, installed until the early 1970s. (→ Lead in Old Buildings)
- Wood preservatives: PCP and lindane in roof trusses — painted over broad areas or dip-treated. (→ Wood Preservatives)
- MMF: Older, biopersistent mineral wool in roof and facade insulation. (→ MMF)
Typical for this era: Multiple pollutants simultaneously. Anyone renovating here needs a systematic check.
1980–1995: Transition Period
The bans gradually take effect. Asbestos is banned in Austria in 1990 (manufacture); the use ban follows in 1993. But late products are still in use until then.
Typical pollutants:
- Asbestos: Late products — less common, but still present. Especially in roof panels, facade cladding, pipes. (→ Recognizing Asbestos)
- MMF: Old, biopersistent mineral wool fibres until the mid-1990s — after that they were replaced by harmless fibres. (→ MMF)
- Wood preservatives: Last PCP and lindane products, before the ban in 1990 (PCP) and 2004 (lindane EU-wide). (→ Wood Preservatives)
Typical for this era: Often "only" 1–2 pollutants, but MMF in nearly every insulation layer.
After 1995: New Builds
The classic old-building pollutants are gone. But new issues can arise:
Typical concerns:
- VOC: Volatile organic compounds from paints, adhesives, floor coverings, furniture — especially in the first weeks and months after moving in or renovation. (→ VOC after renovation)
- Formaldehyde: From chipboard, MDF, adhesives. The most critical individual substance among VOC. (→ VOC after renovation)
- Radon: Also relevant for new builds, especially in protection zones. A radon-proof floor slab is mandatory in radon protection zones — but only when correctly executed. (→ Radon in Austria)
Typical for this era: Fewer legacy pollutants, but VOC problems with unfavourable material choices or poor ventilation.
→ Detail page built after 1990
What This Means for You
Know your year of construction. That tells you what to look for. A targeted check for the most likely pollutants of your construction era is cheaper and faster than a comprehensive screening.
The older, the more potential pollutants — but also the older, the more thoroughly researched and known the risks are. Buildings from the 1960s–1980s deserve special attention.
A systematic check before purchase saves money, because you test specifically rather than analysing everything on suspicion. (→ Pollutant check home purchase)
When You Should Get in Touch
You know your year of construction but not what is inside? You are planning a purchase or renovation and want to know which analyses make sense?
15-minute initial consultation, free of charge. We will tell you what to look for with your construction year.