Subj: Lead Base Paint
Date: 02/25/2001 7:57:18 PM Eastern Standard Time

Lead Paint in Homes

Be aware that there are now strict requirements for lead paint testing for a fee in North Carolina. Without spending a lot of our time with the details it is my understanding that testing for lead paint in homes must now involve removal of numerous large samples in specific areas for laboratory analysis or use of specific types of equipment (which are expensive and require training) for analysis on site. There are stiff fines if the regulations are not followed. 

If a home inspector, or someone else, claims they are qualified to test for lead paint you need to be very careful, because there aren't many people or companies who have the proper equipment to perform on site lead paint testing under the new regulations. I personally only know of one and he is in Raleigh. If the tester pulls out a little swab test kit or puts a drop of chemical on a paint chip, run them off of the site, refuse payment and report them to the proper authorities. 

Removal of lead paint is an expensive proposition, for which most are not willing to pay. How then do we deal with homes, which have, or may have lead based paint? For my part, I don't get involved in the issue. Here is what will be in my report on homes, which may be old enough to have lead based paint:

Lead based paint was in use until approximately 1978. According to the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, a lead hazard can be present in a house of this age. This can only be confirmed by laboratory analysis. An evaluation of lead in paint is beyond the scope of this inspection. For more information, consult the Environmental Protection Agency (E.P.A.) for further guidance and a list of testing labs in your area.

That is as far as I go with the issue unless clients start asking a lot of questions and express concern with the issue. At that point I recommend two possible options. 

Option One - Have it tested. 
Option Two - Assume there is lead based paint and act accordingly taking precautions for protection. 

As a Realtor, you should know what the issues are with lead based paint. The farther you read this article the more you will learn. Be aware that at the end there are pointers on how to deal with lead based paint if you don't have it removed.

Lead Paint was banned in U.S. residential paint in 1978 but that doesn't mean that houses painted after that time don't have lead paint. (It was banned in France and many other countries prior to 1920.) 
Three-quarters of the nation's housing contains lead paint. 
Lead poisoning is a serious disease. 
Children under six are most at risk.
Children from every region, race, and socioeconomic level are at risk. 
Lead poisoning causes learning and developmental disabilities. 
There are usually no symptoms. Even children who appear healthy can have dangerous levels of lead in their blood. 
Most lead poisoning happens at home and is preventable. 
The primary cause is tiny particles of lead dust from deteriorated paint or from painted surfaces disturbed during remodeling, repair or renovation. 
Lead dust is invisible, so tiny in fact that it passes through most masks & filters. 
Lead poisoning affects adults as well as kids.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) consider lead poisoning to be the #1 environmental health threat to American children. It is easy for poisonous lead dust to contaminate your home. Lead dust is especially dangerous to children and women who are (or wish to become) pregnant.
Most houses built before 1978 contain some lead-based paint. Lead-based paint is not dangerous if it is properly cared for. But, when lead-based paint deteriorates, chalks or is disturbed during remodeling, repainting or routine maintenance, it creates an invisible, tasteless, and odorless toxic lead dust. Most cases of lead poisoning are caused by exposure to this dust.
Even such seemingly harmless acts as opening or closing a window, or the rubbing of a door jamb, are enough to create and release significant levels of poisonous lead dust.

Lead dust settles on floors and other surfaces where children play. It gets on their hands and toys, and ends up in their mouths. Slowly and without noticeable symptoms, they are poisoned.

Many homeowners unknowingly contaminate their homes when they remodel or repaint rooms that contain lead-based paint. Even though homeowners may be careful to remove paint chips, they don't realize that as they sand and scrape, lead dust is being created. That lead dust is easily spread throughout the home on their shoes, clothing and on air currents.

Pets are also highly susceptible to lead poisoning from lead contaminated dust. They pick it up on their fur and paws, then ingest it while grooming themselves. Because of their relatively small body size, it doesn't take much lead to poison a dog or cat.

Lead-based paint is hazardous to your health

In children, lead poisoning can cause irreversible brain damage and can impair mental functioning. It can retard mental and physical development and reduce attention span. It can also retard fetal development even at extremely low levels of lead. In adults, it can cause irritability, poor muscle coordination, and nerve damage to the sense organs and nerves controlling the body. Lead poisoning may also cause problems with reproduction (such as a decreased sperm count). It may also increase blood pressure. Thus, young children, fetuses, infants, and adults with high blood pressure are the most vulnerable to the effects of lead.

Consumers can have paint tested for lead

There are do-it-yourself kits available. However, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has not evaluated any of these kits. One home test kit uses sodium sulfide solution. This procedure requires you to place a drop of sodium sulfide solution on a paint chip. The paint chip slowly turns darker if lead is present. There are problems with this test, however. Other metals may cause false positive results, and resins in the paint may prevent the sulfide from causing the paint chip to change color. Thus, the presence of lead may not be correctly indicated. In addition the darkening may be detected only on very light-colored paint.
Another in-home test requires a trained professional who can operate the equipment safely. This test uses X-ray fluorescence to determine if the paint contains lead. Although the test can be done in your home, it should be done only by professionals trained by the equipment manufacturer or who have passed a state or local government training course, since the equipment contains radioactive materials. In addition, in some tests, the method has not been reliable.

Consumers may choose to have a testing laboratory test a paint sample for lead. Lab testing is considered more reliable than other methods. Lab tests may cost from $20 to $50 per sample. To have the lab test for lead paint, consumers may:

Get sample containers from the lab or use re-sealable plastic bags. Label the containers or bags with the consumer's name and the location in the house from which each paint sample was taken. Several samples should be taken from each affected room (see HUD Guidelines discussed below).

Use a sharp knife to cut through the edges of the sample paint. The lab should tell you the size of the sample needed. It will probably be about 2 inches by 2 inches.

Lift off the paint with a clean putty knife and put it into the container. Be sure to take a sample of all layers of paint, since only the lower layers may contain lead. Do not include any of the underlying wood, plaster, metal, and brick.

Wipe the surface and any paint dust with a wet cloth or paper towel and discard the cloth or towel.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recommends that action to reduce exposure should be taken when the lead in paint is greater than 0.5% by lab testing or greater than 1.0 milligrams per square centimeter by X-ray fluorescence. Action is especially important when paint is deteriorating or when infants, children, or pregnant women are present. 

Consumers can reduce exposure to lead-based paint

If you have or think you have lead-based paint, you should take steps to reduce your exposure to lead. 

You can:
1. Have the painted item replaced.
You can replace a door or other easily removed item if you can do it without creating lead dust. Items that are difficult to remove should be replaced by professionals who will control and contain lead dust. 

2. Cover the lead-based paint.
You can spray the surface with a sealant or cover it with gypsum wallboard. However, painting over lead-based paint with non-lead paint is not a long-term solution. Even though the lead-based paint may be covered by non-lead paint, the lead-based paint may continue to loosen from the surface below and create lead dust. The new paint may also partially mix with the lead-based paint, and lead dust will be released when the new paint begins to deteriorate.

3. Have the lead-based paint removed.
Have professionals trained in removing lead-based paint do this work. Each of the paint-removal methods (sandpaper, scrapers, chemicals, sandblasters, and torches or heat guns) can produce lead fumes or dust. Fumes or dust can become airborne and be inhaled or ingested. Wet methods help reduce the amount of lead dust. Removing moldings, trim, window sills, and other painted surfaces for professional paint stripping outside the home may also create dust. Be sure the professionals contain the lead dust. Wet-wipe all surfaces to remove any dust or paint chips. Wet-clean the area before re-entry.
You can remove a small amount of lead-based paint if you can avoid creating any dust. Make sure the surface is less than about one square foot (such as a window sill). Any job larger than about one square foot should be done by professionals. Make sure you can use a wet method (such as a liquid paint stripper).

4. Reduce lead dust exposure.

Make sure your child does not have access to peeling paint or chewable surfaces painted with lead-based paint. Pay special attention to windows and window sills and wells. 

If the house was built before about 1960 and has hard surface floors, wet mop them at least once a week with a high phosphate solution (for example, 5-8% phosphates). (The phosphate content of automatic dish washing detergents and other cleaning substances is often listed on the label and may be high enough for this purpose. Otherwise, trisodium phosphate can be purchased in hardware stores.) Other hard surfaces (such as window sills and baseboards) should also be wiped with a similar solution. Do not vacuum hard surface floors or window sills or wells, since this will disperse dust. Vacuum cleaners with agitators remove dust from rugs more effectively than vacuum cleaners with suction only. 

Wash your child's hands and face before he/she eats. 

Wash toys and pacifiers frequently. 

OTHER INTERVENTIONS TO REDUCE EXPOSURE TO LEAD

If soil around the home is or is likely to be contaminated with lead (for example, if the home was built before 1960 or the house is near a major highway), plant grass or other ground cover. Since the highest concentrations of lead in a yard tend to be near surfaces that were once painted with lead paint, like exterior walls, if exterior lead paint was likely to be used, plant bushes around the outside of your house so your child cannot play there. 

In areas where the lead content of water exceeds the drinking water standard, use only fully flushed water from the cold-water tap for drinking, cooking, and making formula. In communities where water conservation is a concern, use the first-flush water for other purposes. 

Do not store food in open cans, particularly if the cans are imported. 

Do not use pottery or ceramic ware that was inadequately fired or is meant for decorative use for food storage or service. 

Make sure that take-home exposures are not occurring from parental occupations or hobbies.

Contact your state and local health departments lead poisoning prevention programs and housing authorities for information about testing labs and contractors who can safely remove lead-based paint. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) prepared guidelines for removing lead-based paint. Ask contractors about their qualifications, experience removing lead-based paint, and plans to follow these guidelines.

Thought for the week

"Absence extinguishes small passions and increases great ones, as the wind will blow out a candle, and blow in a fire."
--La Rochefoucauld