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 Remodel Your Home Safely with a
Certified Renovator
You’ve made the decision to finally remodel the outdated kitchen and
living room of your home. But if you live in a house built before
1978, a new federal law regulating the removal of lead paint may
affect your home remodeling project.
In 1978, the use of lead paint was
officially banned from residential construction. Before that, however,
lead paint was used in more than 38 million homes, according to the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Beginning in April 2010, contractors
performing renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb
lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities, and schools built
before 1978 must be certified and must follow specific work practices
to prevent lead contamination.
The Dangers of Lead Paint
During a renovation or remodel, dust from lead paint removal can fill
the air and be breathed in or small children could ingest lead paint
chips that fall from the wall. For young children, lead poisoning can
cause learning disabilities, hearing loss and behavior problems. In
adults, lead poisoning can lead to hypertension and high blood
pressure. Pregnant women run the risk of passing the poison on to
their unborn child. It is
important that you find a remodeler who is trained in lead-safe work
practices rather than try to do the work yourself. To ensure the
safety of the home’s occupants, the EPA’s new regulation requires that
any major renovation to homes built before 1978 must be performed by a
certified remodeler or renovator.
What are Lead-Safe Work Practices?
EPA has a free brochure on its website called
“Renovate Right” that provides guidance to home owners and
contractors about the safe removal of lead paint. Your contractor
should follow specific work practices, including these three simple
procedures:
- Contain the work area so that dust
and debris do not escape. Warning signs should be put up and
heavy-duty plastic and tape should be used to seal off doors and
heating and cooling system vents and to cover the floors and any
furniture that cannot be moved.
- Minimize dust. There is no way to
eliminate dust, but some paint removal methods create less dust than
others. For example, using water to mist areas before sanding or
scraping; scoring paint before separating components; and prying and
pulling apart components instead of breaking them. Methods that
generate large amounts of dust and should not be used include open
flame burning or torching; sanding, grinding, planing, needle
gunning, or blasting with power tools and equipment not equipped
with a shroud and high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter
vacuum attachment; or using a heat gun at temperatures greater than
1100°F.
- Clean up thoroughly. When all the
work is done, and before taking down any plastic that isolates the
work area from the rest of the home, the area should be cleaned up
using special cleaning methods . These include using a HEPA vacuum
to clean up dust and debris on all surfaces, followed by wet mopping
with plenty of water.
How Do I Find a Certified Renovator?
To become lead-safe certified, a firm, and a contractor within that
firm, must submit an application to the EPA and complete a federal or
state-administered eight-hour class with two hours of hands-on
training.
To find a lead-safe certified
contractor or firm near you, contact the Flagler home Builders
Association or visit
www.epa.gov/lead.
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