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.
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).
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