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Agent said it does not matter, since people have painted so many times over the lead paint, if not eating paint chip (child), it is not a problem at all.
The house is built in 1960s (before 1978, when lead paint was banned), and many houses in the community are built in 1960s. So not many choices out there.
How should I paint the wall in the future? Can I paint it on my own? Or I need to hire someone who is lead-safe certified.
Here's a copy of the Lead Based Paint information pamphlet that is produced by HUD and is required to to be provided to everyone buying a home built before 1978:
It should answer some of your questions. Most of the issues that become problems come about from when the paint is disturbed via sanding, scraping, etc., and the dust starts flying around and can be inhaled. As the manual says, "In most cases, lead-based paint that is in good condition is not a hazard."
At least some states, if not all, have the lead based paint disclosure as part of their contracts.
When it's a problem is when it's peeling, when it's eaten by curiuos children or babies crawling, and exploring, when it's inhaled from peeling and chipping, and when it is being removed...that's a biggie.
Removal is called the red zone by professionals. Nowadays, I've seen it require plastic sheeting and those top notch breathing masks for removal. But sometimes that is what one wants if, say, there is what's called alligatoring (large pits and peeling) in the paint in order to have a better, smooth paint job.
We had neighbors whose two out of three children had lead poisoning. They didn't eat paint chips. They must have inhaled it. And the one child not affected....who knows. They had a nurse come to their house regularly for years to check them. They acted completely healthy after a certain time period. But it can hang on for years.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Very expensive to remove, and a red flag for many buyers (just as you are questioning it). That means when you go to sell you will have buyers that walk away. In the future, any city/county/state could pass a law requiring it to be eliminated before a sale, as is happening now with side sewer inspections in areas of CA. We had a neighbor with asbestos in the siding. They had someone come out and cover it with vinyl siding which was OK with local codes but they had to disclose and had a lot of trouble selling it. I'd keep looking.
If you are going to buy a house from the 1960s, just assume it likely has lead based paint. Whether or not it has ever been tested is sort of irrelevant. If it has been tested, then you know. If it hasn't, just assume it does have it.
On our rentals from prior to 1978, we've never had any of them tested, and when I give the tenants the "lead in your home" brochure and the disclosure form, I always tell them "don't eat the paint (eg don't let your kids gnaw on the windowsills), don't eat the dirt around the house, and if you have peeling paint, leave it alone and let us know." Otherwise, like your agent said, the paint with lead is likely 4 or 5 layers down (if not more) and is no issue. However, if you were going to sand and repaint, you would be best to hire a lead paint certified company (in some areas, this may be required). If you're just going to paint over top without sanding, and you have no peeling paint, you could do it yourself.
We had neighbors whose two out of three children had lead poisoning. They didn't eat paint chips. They must have inhaled it. And the one child not affected....who knows. They had a nurse come to their house regularly for years to check them. They acted completely healthy after a certain time period. But it can hang on for years.
Many kids toys had lead paint for years, even into this millennium. It has also been found in things like lunchboxes, candy, clothes, purses, jewelry, and many other things. It is also sometimes in the plumbing of older houses and can contaminate the water supply in your house. How many small children do you know that DON'T put toys in their mouths? It doesn't even necessarily have to be ingested or inhaled. In some cases, it can be absorbed through the skin, instead.
Contrary to popular belief, the primary exposure route is not from kids eating paint chips. Rather, it's from inhalation of lead paint dust. This most often occurs when the window frames are painted with lead paint and the scraping from opening and closing windows creates a dust which becomes airborne. There is little cause for concern if the walls are painted with lead paint and they've subsequently been repainted, covering up the lead paint. If the windowsills and frames were never painted, the threat of exposure is minuscule. If they have been painted, steps can be taken to either remove the old paint or cover it up, using reasonable care when opening windows.
Not surprisingly, most soil in urban areas has elevated levels of lead. This is not from lead paint, of course, but from years of burning leaded gasoline. Don't let your kids eat the soil.
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