Last month, on Earth Day, April 22, the Environmental Protection Agency implemented a new regulation called the Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule. This new regulation requires that contractors who work on houses that were built before 1978 register their companies and complete an eight-hour training and certification course. The course aims to teach contractors how to safely remove and contain lead during home renovations.
Lead was used in paint as pigment, to speed the drying process, increase durability, and promote erosion. Despite the fact that in 1978 the limit of lead in interior paint has been lowered to 0.06 percent, lead paint still abounds in older houses where it was originally applied. Removing lead-containing paint can cost tens of thousands of dollars per single dwelling. According to an EPA report, it would cost fifty-eight billion dollars to remove leaded paint across the United States.
It is critical to be aware of the potential presence of lead in paint. If your house was built before 1978, it should be assumed that it contains lead in at least some of its areas. Testing can be done to find out exactly where the lead is by using a lead test kit.
The Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule does not apply to homeowners doing their own painting or contractors who are painting over old paint. On the other hand, any individual or firm that provide renovation services for compensation need to follow the new regulations. This includes landlords who perform renovations themselves, contractors, window replacement contractors and home renovation companies, as well as painters, electricians, maintenance workers, and plumbers.
Lead was used in paint as pigment, to speed the drying process, increase durability, and promote erosion. Despite the fact that in 1978 the limit of lead in interior paint has been lowered to 0.06 percent, lead paint still abounds in older houses where it was originally applied. Removing lead-containing paint can cost tens of thousands of dollars per single dwelling. According to an EPA report, it would cost fifty-eight billion dollars to remove leaded paint across the United States.
It is critical to be aware of the potential presence of lead in paint. If your house was built before 1978, it should be assumed that it contains lead in at least some of its areas. Testing can be done to find out exactly where the lead is by using a lead test kit.
The Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule does not apply to homeowners doing their own painting or contractors who are painting over old paint. On the other hand, any individual or firm that provide renovation services for compensation need to follow the new regulations. This includes landlords who perform renovations themselves, contractors, window replacement contractors and home renovation companies, as well as painters, electricians, maintenance workers, and plumbers.
Joanna Cerazy
Co-author of Lead Babies
Looking through my newly-acquired binoculars, I've seen the beauty of an old house in Bay Area. Windows and doors may not get repainted; but they still have the beauty that can lighten up a humdrum day. One thing I've noticed, at least more than half of them were still occupied. Beauty was still there, but it echoes a call for replacement. Indeed, replacement windows San Francisco's call for at least health security and safety, especially the area of classic houses should not be left unnoticed but needed a little touch of restoration. Some of them were obviously built even before 1978, when lead (a chemical) was a staple element and mixture for wall paints.
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