Lead paint was ubiquitous because it was durable, resisted moisture, and dried fast, two highly prized attributes for paint. The problem is lead paint was demined that human consumption of lead, via dust or paint chips, generated by deteriorating lead paint was a serious health hazard and in 1978 the Consumer Product Safety Commission banned lead in paint for residential use. For the record most similar developed nations banned lead paint decades before the United States did.
Unless you complete a lead paint inspection, which is a surface-by-surface inspection of building material for lead paint, you assume that lead paint is present. More about lead paint inspections can be found at Lead Paint Inspection.
Why should you care about lead paint?
- Kids consume lead paint as it has a sweet flavor, and lead paint has long-term effects on children. Lead doesn't leave your body.
- When you renovate the lead paint dust that was generated from deteriorating lead paint, well it's lead-contaminated dust, and yes you are inhaling it, which means your children are inhaling lead.
- Hazard control is all about controlling your exposure pathway. You don't want any chemicals where kids can come in contact with them, because you know chemicals are hazardous. If you know where lead paint is in your home you are better prepared to manage it.
- At Curren we recognize the risk of lead and care, so we discount the cost of lead paint inspections for residential sites to encourage people to perform the inspection.
The contractor working on the lead paint must also be certified.
Any renovation, repair, or painting (RRP) project in a pre-1978 home or building can easily create dangerous lead dust. EPA requires that RRP (Renovation, Repair, Painting) projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, childcare facilities, and preschools built before 1978 be performed by lead-safe certified contractors. Generally, EPA’s Lead RRP rule does not apply to homeowners doing RRP projects in their own homes. However, it does apply if you rent all or part of your home, operate a child care center in your home or if you buy, renovate, and sell homes for profit (i.e., a house flipper).
Learn About Lead Paint Inspection -