More than 40 million houses in the United States have lead paint. And Angie's List says it’s really important if you have small children to be very careful when you’re remodeling because you do not want to end up with lead paint poisoning - especially for children under 6 years old. Ingesting lead paint chips or breathing in lead dust can lead to lifelong learning disabilities, nervous system problems, or even brain damage. Just a little dust can do a lot of damage.
“If you took this much lead dust and you spread it over a 1,500 square-foot home, that house would be contaminated,” explained Lead-Certified Program Instructor Greg Sauer.
Recommended Videos
In order to remove it, find a contractor who is certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in safe lead practices and ask specific questions on the removal process.
“A good contractor will list all of the things that they do because they’re proud of the fact that it’s part of their business,” Sauer said.
“We’ve been working with the EPA educating consumers on the dangers of lead paint and the proper procedures for dealing with it, and we’ve seen lots of progress from contractors," explained Angie Hicks, founder of Angie's List. "But there still are painters that aren’t following the proper procedures, so it’s important consumers educate themselves and are in the driver’s seat.”
Sauer says it’s imperative your painter or remodeler uses plastic drop cloths, not canvas, and a HEPA vacuum for clean-up. And while the paint may be the main culprit, it’s not the only one.
“We think of lead-based paint as the colors on the walls, but that’s not true. It’s also in the lacquers, the varnishes, the shellacs, um, the floor coverings. Those all have lead in ‘em as well,” he said.
Thanks to the E-P-A’s Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule of 2010, it’s illegal for any contractor to disturb lead paint without first acquiring lead-safe certification. You can find more information on lead paint and find a national list of certified contractors on the agency’s web site at www.epa.gov.