Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Common renovation activities like sanding, cutting, and demolition can create hazardous lead dust and chips by disturbing lead-based paint, which can be harmful to adults and children.
To protect against this risk, on April 22, 2008, EPA issued a rule requiring the use of lead-safe practices and other actions aimed at preventing lead poisoning. Under the rule, 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 biggest problem I am having is actually FINDING a contractor or handyman of any kind who has the now required EPA training and certification. And then, there's the "Cleaning certification" needed when the work is finished!
What am I doing? For now, only looking at houses made after 1978.
Unfortunately I see this being kind of like the mold scare a while back where there will be a lot of people that try and take advantage of it. IMO someone would be doing themselves a favor by double checking whoever says they have this certification in the future.
I was referring to the management of houses, not buying them. It's easy to check on the certification, the EPA maintains a list on their website by region. Lead Home | Lead in Paint, Dust, and Soil | US EPA
I see your point about the "lawsuit du jour". One week prior to doing any thing that falls under this law, you must give your tenant a publication, I think it's 19 pages, and have them sign a receipt for it.
You can do the work yourself if you own the property, but I know the painter I have recommend and who has painted my house isn't lead certified so I can't refer him to older houses.
I am fully expecting to see just a few contractors pay the fees and do the certification which means hefty prices for consumers.
I was referring to the management of houses, not buying them. It's easy to check on the certification, the EPA maintains a list on their website by region. Lead Home | Lead in Paint, Dust, and Soil | US EPA
I see your point about the "lawsuit du jour". One week prior to doing any thing that falls under this law, you must give your tenant a publication, I think it's 19 pages, and have them sign a receipt for it.
Ahh, gotcha. Good to see that it's easy to see who's really certified and who isn't.
From a management standpoint, wouldn't it be easier to have a large number of surfaces in a managed property checked for lead paint and keep detailed records of the check to ensure that choice of contractor wouldn't be a problem later. And as a shield in case a tenant tries to make a false claim later?
Steve, yes I agree that is a good idea. In fact I plan to have my own home tested in case I even want to sell or use it as a rental.
by the way, Silverfall, you can do the work yourself if you own AND live in the home, but not if it's a rental from what I understand. There is also a provision where (again) you can have verified that no children live in the home but with tenants changing ever so often on rentals, I can't see that this is really a viable option.
When my landlord recently switched insurance companies, the new company came out and swabbed for lead.
Interestingly enough, the highest he swabbed were the window sills. Of course they all came back negative because everything was sporting three new coats of paint (by me)!
However, I'll bet if he made his way back into the deep dark recesses of the storage closets in the back hall........................
In my state we've had a large lead-abatement program going on for years as most of the rental stock is 75+ years old. I've often wondered if it is not the ancient plumbing and city water lines which are the culprits as opposed to old lead paint?
Wood trim is the mostly likely to have lead paint, more so than the walls. Interior paints were phazing out lead paint several years before 1978 however high gloss enamels such as for trim, were still used more often.
I don't know that there is a clear cut "culprit" anymore but paint chips were certainly the worst offender back in that time period.
This sounds like a good idea however the way the law reads is that the contractor that is doing the work is completely liable if the law is broke. This would put the contractor in a situation that he is staking the chance of taking the resposibility of what someone else claims id "ok"
The agent obviously was not trained properly to do these tests. If he had been he would have cut a notch into the testing area to get to the lower levels of the paint so he got a accurate reading of the swab test.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
