by Kathleen Couch

Created on: August 01, 2010   Last Updated: August 02, 2010

Do you live in a home or apartment that was built before 1978?  There is something special about an older home, but a danger could be present also. Often upon moving in we are planning the first updates to the home to make it a comfortable, pleasant home.  Sometimes it may just be some repainting, but other times it is a full scale remodel.  In either case, make protecting yourself and your family from the dangers of lead paint the first step.  In this article you will learn about tests used to identify lead paint, and why this is important.

A common misconception is that the only way you can get lead paint poisoning is by eating paint chips or chewing on painted wood.  You may be surprised to learn a very common way to be exposed to lead poisoning is from older wood painted windows.  Not by chewing on them, but from the lead dust that can be created from the friction of moving them up and down.

A home built in 1978 and before is the time frame to be concerned about lead paint. Two thirds of homes built before 1940 contain high lead paint.  One half of the homes built between 1940 and 1960 contain high lead paint.  Many homes built between 1960 and 1978 also contain lead paint.  In 1978 the U.S. Consumer Safety Council lowered the rate of lead allowed in paint to a trace amount.

All sellers and landlords of houses built before 1978 are required to give the buyers or renters the pamphlet, “Protecting Your Family From Lead Paint”.  Also sellers are required to disclose there is lead paint in the home, if they know this.

Lead may or may not be present in your home.  Instead of trying “do it yourself methods” and hoping the lead is encapsulated you should have a test done of surfaces in your home.  Listed here are types of tests available.

There are some home tests that you do the test and interpret the results yourself.  These have been shown to not be completely accurate. Another type of test is one that you collect the samples and send them to a lab to analyze.  This is considered an accurate type of test.  The kit to collect the samples can be purchased at many hardware chains, and paint stores.  It is usually between $30.00 and $50.00 dollars. Information about one lab kit can be found here.  In some areas the health department will analyze samples. A third type of test must be conducted by a certified professional. This done with an X-ray fluorescence wand.

In some states or municipalities strict codes have been enacted to protect families from the dangers of lead paint.  In those areas you must use a lead certified contractor to do remodeling in a home that is going to be sold or rented after completion.  This is also true if you own the home but are renting it out.

There are no easy ways to identify lead paint.  You cannot see it, feel it, or smell it and determine if it is lead paint.  Small children and pregnant women are identified as the most at risk.  So don’t take a chance, make getting a lab test, or test by a professional the first thing you do to make your home comfortable and safe.

For more information:

Consumer Product Safety Publications:  Click the link below and in the search option choose – Lead

http://www.cpsc.gov/cgi-bin/pub.aspx

Sources:

http://www.cpsc.gov.

http://www.epa.gov./lead

http://www.prolabinc.com/products.asp?kit=leadinpain t

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