Asbestos was used in dozens of common building materials until the late 1970s. Here's where it hides and what to test before you renovate.

Before you swing a hammer in any pre-1980 home, run this short list of tests. They're the difference between a clean renovation and a contamination event.

Federal law requires sellers and landlords to disclose known lead paint hazards in homes built before 1978. Here's what that disclosure actually covers — and what it doesn't.