This is the master table that powers the House Age Decoder. Each row lists a material, when it was used or banned in US homes, where it is found and the source for the date.
| Material | System | Years used / key dates | Where it appears | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lead pipes / lead service line | Plumbing & water | Common in older homes; banned from new drinking-water plumbing after June 1986 | Service line from the street, older supply pipes | EPA: lead in drinking water; EPA: lead free pipes, solder and flux |
| Lead solder on copper pipe | Plumbing & water | Before June 1986 (solder limited to 0.2% lead) | Joints on copper supply lines | EPA: lead free pipes, solder and flux |
| Galvanized iron/steel supply pipe | Plumbing & water | Common before the 1960s | Supply lines, service lines | EBMUD: galvanized iron pipes |
| Orangeburg (bituminous fiber) pipe | Plumbing & water | About 1949 to the early 1970s (regional) | Sewer lateral to the street | City of Ann Arbor: Orangeburg sewer piping |
| Polybutylene (PB) pipe | Plumbing & water | 1978 to the mid-1990s; up to 10 million homes | Supply lines, often gray, stamped PB2110 | InterNACHI: polybutylene piping |
| Lead-based paint | Hazardous materials | Banned in housing in 1978; about 85% of pre-1940, 61% of 1940–59, 24% of 1960–77 and 6.5% of 1978+ homes have some | Windows, doors, trim, porches, exterior | HUD: American Healthy Homes Survey II (2021); EPA: lead disclosure rule and the 1978 ban |
| Asbestos in floor tiles, adhesives, wall texture | Hazardous materials | Common through the 1970s; most new uses limited by a 1989 rule; chrysotile banned in 2024 | Vinyl tiles and mastic, textured paint, patching compound | EPA: learn about asbestos; EPA: actions on asbestos (timeline) |
| Asbestos pipe and boiler insulation | Hazardous materials | Installing friable pipe/block insulation banned in 1975 | Hot water and steam pipes, boilers, furnaces | EPA: actions on asbestos (timeline); EPA: learn about asbestos |
| Spray-applied asbestos (incl. ceiling texture) | Hazardous materials | Banned for insulation in 1973 and for remaining uses in 1978 | Sprayed ceilings and surfaces | EPA: actions on asbestos (timeline) |
| Vermiculite insulation (Zonolite) | Hazardous materials | Libby, Montana mine supplied over 70% of US vermiculite, 1919–1990 | Loose-fill attic and wall insulation | EPA: vermiculite insulation |
| Urea-formaldehyde foam insulation (UFFI) | Hazardous materials | Banned for homes in 1982; about 500,000 homes already insulated | Wall cavities (injected foam) | CPSC: UFFI ban (1982) |
| Problem imported drywall | Hazardous materials | Most CPSC reports involve homes built in 2006–2007 | Walls; corrodes copper wiring and AC coils | CPSC: drywall information center |
| Knob-and-tube wiring | Electrical & heating | About 1880 to the 1940s | Attics, basements, walls | InterNACHI: knob-and-tube wiring |
| Aluminum branch-circuit wiring | Electrical & heating | 1965 to the mid-1970s | Outlet, switch and branch circuits | CPSC: repairing aluminum wiring (Pub. 516) |
| Federal Pacific Stab-Lok breakers | Electrical & heating | CPSC investigated breakers made before 1979; closed in 1983 without a finding of serious risk | Main electrical panel | CPSC: FPE breaker investigation |
| Asbestos cement siding and roofing shingles | Exterior & structure | Common through the 1970s (no single federal end date) | Siding, roof shingles | EPA: learn about asbestos |
| Asbestos board or paper near wood stoves | Exterior & structure | Older installations | Heat shields behind and under stoves | EPA: learn about asbestos |
Notes on the sources
- Lead-based paint percentages are HUD’s national estimates of homes with lead-based paint anywhere in the building, by year built (American Healthy Homes Survey II, Table ES-1).
- The 1986 Safe Drinking Water Act amendments defined “lead free” as no more than 0.2% lead in solder and flux and up to 8% in pipes; limits were tightened in 2011 (EPA).
- The 1989 EPA asbestos rule was largely overturned in court in 1991; the parts that remained ban five product types and new uses after August 25, 1989. In 2024 EPA banned ongoing uses of chrysotile asbestos.
- Dates for Orangeburg pipe come from a city building department and reflect local experience; use elsewhere was similar but not identical.
- InterNACHI is a home inspector association, used where no government source gives a date.
Table last checked: October 14, 2026. See the Methodology for how these dates become ratings.