House age X-ray1970s · Colorado
Built in 1975: 7 things worth checking before you offer.
Worth checking for this era. This is not a finding about a specific house. A full listing check is a separate step.
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1.Lead paint
Federal ruleFederal law requires a lead-paint disclosure for most housing built before 1978. Worth checking for this era.
Pre-1978: the federal lead-paint disclosure applies to most housing built before 1978.
How to spot it. Start with the year built. Ask for the disclosure, the EPA/HUD pamphlet, and any report the seller already has. Peeling paint is a condition clue, not proof.
Who checks it. Lead inspector or risk assessor
EPA: Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Rule (Section 1018 of Title X)
2.Aluminum wiring
Era checkCPSC says homes built before 1965 are unlikely to have aluminum branch-circuit wiring, and that cables installed from 1965 through the mid-1970s may. Its outlet survey covered homes built before 1972 and did not develop information for homes built after 1972. Worth checking for this era.
How to spot it. Single-strand silver conductors on a 15- or 20-amp breaker. The thick aluminum service cable from the utility is a different product.
Who checks it. Electrician
3.Asbestos
Era checkEPA’s home guide says sprayed or troweled ceilings in homes built or remodeled between 1945 and 1978 may contain asbestos, and that EPA prohibited spray-applied asbestos insulation in 1973. Intact material is not, by itself, a project. Worth checking for this era.
How to spot it. Popcorn ceilings, older floor tile, and pipe wrap. Do not sand or scrape them to find out.
Who checks it. Accredited asbestos inspector
4.Federal Pacific panels
Commonly reported, verifyStab-Lok panels from the 1950s into the 1980s are commonly reported, verify. In 1983 CPSC closed its investigation because the data it had did not establish a serious risk of injury. Worth checking for this era.
How to spot it. A panel door that reads Federal Pacific, FPE, or Stab-Lok.
Who checks it. Electrician
CPSC: Commission Closes Investigation Of FPE Circuit Breakers
5.Radon
Regional, depends on locationEPA says every home should be tested, and that the zone map is not a result for one house. Worth checking for this era.
How to spot it. A PVC pipe and an exterior fan can mean a system is already installed. Ask for the before-and-after test numbers.
Who checks it. Radon measurement professional
6.Hail damage
Regional, depends on locationNOAA’s Storm Prediction Center records more large hail on the southern Plains (Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas) than on the northern Plains (Nebraska, the Dakotas, and northeast Colorado). Worth checking for this era.
How to spot it. Random soft spots in asphalt shingles, or a listing that mentions a recent roof claim. Ask whether the carrier already paid actual cash value.
Who checks it. Roof inspector
NOAA Storm Prediction Center: The NSPP Severe Weather Database
7.Expansive clay
Regional, depends on locationThe Colorado Geological Survey calls expansive clay one of the state’s most widespread geologic hazards. Worth checking for this era.
How to spot it. Seasonal door stick and diagonal cracks that open in a dry spell and ease after rain. Ask whether the slab was designed for swelling soil.
Who checks it. Structural engineer
Elsewhere in the 1970s
- Polybutylene pipes · 1978–1995
What is worth checking for a house built in 1975?
Built in 1975: 7 things worth checking before you offer. On this checklist: Lead paint, Aluminum wiring, Asbestos, Federal Pacific panels, Radon, Hail damage, Expansive clay. Each line is worth checking for this era.
Does a house built in 1975 have these problems?
No. The list is what is worth checking for this era. It is not a finding about a specific address. A full listing analysis is a separate step.