How do you pass a lead paint risk assessment?

How do I pass my rental lead inspection? First know that a risk assessment is assuming you have lead paint and for homes built before 1978, you have a high probability of lead.  Lead paint was federally banned in 1978. 

Assuming lead paint is present the Lead Risk Assessor will visually inspect interior tenant-accessible areas for deteriorated paint.  Your question is what is deteriorated?   First, know what we are not looking for.  We are not concerned with the following:

  1. Faded paint
  2. Small nail holes on surfaces
  3. Ugly paint
  4. Scuffed walls that could be cleaned with a magic eraser and not require painting.

What would drive a typical person to repaint a room might fall under these four areas, but that is not what makes or breaks your lead paint risk assessment.

Lead Paint inspection fails because the paint is deteriorated, a painted surface shows deterioration. 

How do you pass a lead paint risk assessment?

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                          When getting a lead dust inspection, ensure all paint is intact

All of these above photos show surfaces that would fail the lead paint inspection.  If you fail, you must repair and have a lead reinspection performed and now you must perform lead dust wipe sampling as you need to ensure you did not create an unsafe lead hazard by liberating lead dust when you repainted.

How do you prepare for lead inspection dust wipe sampling? What is a lead dust wipe sample?

Lead dust wipes are samples you acquire with wipes (no pun intended) in a given area, and the area can be defined by a template or by creating a zone with tape as the photo below shows.

When getting a lead inspection, ensure all paint is intact

Know that you will not see lead dust and it can be present from lead paint that has been liberated from a building material, such as a door wall, or window.  But what you do not realize is dust can come from dirt and outside influences as lead is a natural metal and is prevalent in our environment.  The problem is that the naked eye will not see lead dust.

Since lead can be in dust and not say a paint flake (you are technically not to wipe sample an area that has paint chips), you need to ensure the area is clean of dust. Clean, Clean, Clean.

There are several approaches professionals take to clean lead dust:

Cleaning with a High Efficiency Vacuum Cleaner (HEPA).  This procedure requires cleaning all horizontal surfaces with a vacuum cleaner equipped with a High-Efficiency Particulate Air Filter (HEPA) or an equivalent high-efficiency filter. Within a room, start with the highest horizontal surfaces and work down to the floor. Be sure to clean dust traps such as windows, radiators, air vents/registers, and ceiling fans. When practical, work from the cleanest areas to the dirtiest areas to minimize spreading lead-contaminated dust to clean areas. Do not open or change the filters and bags inside the dwelling. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for routine maintenance, cleaning and filter changes. 

Wet Cleaning aka Wet Wiping

This procedure requires washing with two buckets using clean rinse water and a detergent solution. There are also specialized cleaners that will attract lead dust. Use the following method to clean surfaces. 

After mopping or wiping a small area, rinse the mop or disposable cloth in the first bucket containing rinse water before dipping in the second bucket containing the detergent solution. 

  • Repeat the rinse before dipping in a detergent method in each area to be cleaned.

  • When practical, work from the cleanest areas to the dirtiest areas to minimize spreading lead-contaminated dust to clean areas.

  • Change the rinse water and detergent solution at least once per room.  

  • Clean until no surface dust is visible. 

Pro Tip
The most effective method for removing lead-contaminated dust combines vacuuming and wet wiping. 

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Lead inspection New Jersey