Asbestos testing matters most in Etobicoke’s older houses, not its newest condo towers. Neighbourhoods like Alderwood, Long Branch, New Toronto, Mimico and the Kingsway are full of cottages, post-war bungalows and mid-century homes built when asbestos was still common in building materials, while most of the Humber Bay Shores towers went up much later. If you own or are buying an older Etobicoke home and plan to renovate, test suspect materials before work starts, with samples analysed by an accredited lab. At Golden Home Inspections we test for asbestos and vermiculite as part of our home hazard testing, and your inspector is Yama Nehan, a Certified and Registered Home Inspector with about 15 years of home inspection experience. Call 647-704-7100 to book in Etobicoke.
Key takeaways
- City of Toronto 2021 neighbourhood profiles show that most homes in south and central Etobicoke were built before 1991: Alderwood 81.9%, Stonegate-Queensway 80.9%, New Toronto 71.9%, Kingsway South 71.2%, Mimico-Queensway 70.9% and Long Branch 70.6%.
- By contrast, only 23.4% of occupied dwellings in Humber Bay Shores were built before 1991.
- Health Canada notes that asbestos is a concern when fibres are released into the air, typically when materials are damaged or disturbed. Materials left alone in good condition generally aren’t a concern.
- You can’t identify asbestos by looking. Lab analysis of a sample is the only way to confirm it.
- Older houses usually need a wider look (attic, basement, floors, ceilings, pipes). Condo units usually need a narrower, unit-focused one.
Why are older Etobicoke neighbourhoods more likely to need asbestos testing?
Because of when they were built. According to the City of Toronto’s 2021 neighbourhood profiles, based on Statistics Canada’s 2021 Census, 54.4% of occupied dwellings in Alderwood and 55.0% in Stonegate-Queensway were built in 1960 or earlier, and Kingsway South sits at 58.6% (City of Toronto Open Data, Neighbourhood Profiles). Asbestos was used in many household building products through those decades, in things like insulation, flooring, plaster and pipe wrap. So a 1950s bungalow in Alderwood or an older brick home in the Kingsway is a very different starting point from a condo finished in Humber Bay Shores in the 2000s.
Older Etobicoke house vs Humber Bay condo: how does asbestos testing compare?
| Older house (Alderwood, Long Branch, New Toronto, Mimico, the Kingsway) | Newer condo (Humber Bay Shores) | |
|---|---|---|
| Share built before 1991 (2021 Census, City of Toronto profiles) | About 71% to 82%, depending on the neighbourhood | 23.4% |
| Likelihood of asbestos-era materials | Higher, especially in original or lightly updated homes | Lower in newer towers, though older buildings and older finishes can still be worth checking |
| Where we look | Attic insulation, basement and furnace room, floors, ceilings, plaster, exterior siding | Mainly the unit you’re renovating: floors, ceilings, walls |
| Who decides on common areas | You, as the owner of the whole house | The condo corporation, for anything outside your unit |
| Typical trigger for testing | Basement finish, kitchen or bath renovation, re-insulating, HVAC replacement | Flooring replacement, removing a textured ceiling, opening walls in an older unit |
What should you test in an older Etobicoke home before renovating?
Test the materials your renovation will actually disturb. In the older homes we see across south Etobicoke and the Kingsway, these come up most often:
- Attic insulation. Loose, pebble-like vermiculite, often grey-brown or silvery-gold. Health Canada advises leaving it undisturbed and not removing it yourself.
- Basement and furnace room. Old pipe and duct insulation, tape on duct joints, and leftovers from a previous boiler or furnace.
- Floors. Older vinyl tiles or sheet flooring, and the adhesive under them, often hidden beneath carpet or newer floors.
- Ceilings and walls. Textured or “popcorn” ceilings, plaster and older drywall joint compound.
- Exterior. Some older cement-based siding and roofing products.
Do Humber Bay condo owners ever need asbestos testing?
Sometimes, but less often. Most units in the newer towers along the lake were built well after asbestos-containing products fell out of common use, and Canada prohibited asbestos and products containing it in 2018. If your condo is in an older Etobicoke building, or a previous owner installed older-style finishes, testing a ceiling or floor before you tear it out is a sensible step. For anything in common areas or behind shared walls, check with your condo corporation first, since that work is usually its responsibility.
What does our asbestos testing involve?
- Your renovation plan. We start with what you’re changing so testing targets the right materials.
- A visual review. We check the areas the work will touch for suspect materials.
- Careful sampling. Small samples are taken in a way that keeps disturbance to a minimum.
- Accredited lab analysis. Samples are analysed by an accredited lab.
- Clear results. You get the results with a plain-language explanation you can share with your contractor.
Our home hazard testing page for Toronto and the GTA covers asbestos, vermiculite, mould and radon testing.
A situation we often see in Etobicoke
A family buys a 1950s bungalow in Alderwood or Long Branch and wants to open up the kitchen, lift the old basement flooring and add attic insulation in the same summer. The contractor is ready to start, but nobody has checked the square tiles under the basement carpet, the plaster in the kitchen wall or the loose insulation under the attic batts. Testing those few materials first, and waiting for lab results, gives the contractor a clear scope and keeps the project from stopping halfway.
Is a home inspection the same as asbestos testing?
No. A home inspection is a visual review of the roof, structure, electrical, plumbing, heating, insulation and moisture. An inspector can flag materials that may contain asbestos, but only sampling and lab analysis confirm it. Many buyers of older Etobicoke homes book both. See our Etobicoke home inspector page and our guide to older home inspections in Toronto, Etobicoke, Scarborough and North York.
Frequently asked questions
Does every older Etobicoke home contain asbestos?
No. Plenty of older homes have no asbestos-containing materials, or had them removed in past renovations. The age of the home is a reason to test before disturbing suspect materials, not a reason to assume.
Should I remove vermiculite from my attic right away?
No. Health Canada’s advice is to leave vermiculite undisturbed, not store things in that attic and not remove it yourself. Have it tested first, and if removal is needed, use trained professionals.
Is asbestos a problem if I’m not renovating?
Health Canada notes that asbestos materials in good condition that are left alone generally aren’t a concern. Testing matters most before work that could damage them.
What affects the cost of asbestos testing?
Mainly how many materials need samples, how many areas of the home are involved, and whether you combine it with vermiculite, mould or radon testing or a full home inspection. The final price depends on the home, so call us for a quote.
Which Etobicoke neighbourhoods do you serve?
All of them, including Alderwood, Long Branch, New Toronto, Mimico, the Kingsway, Stonegate-Queensway, Islington and Humber Bay Shores, plus the rest of Toronto and the GTA. For official guidance, see Health Canada’s page on asbestos.
Planning a renovation in an older Etobicoke home? Call 647-704-7100 or email contact@goldenhomeinspections.ca to book asbestos testing with Golden Home Inspections, based in Toronto, Ontario.
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