Protect Against The Hazards Of Lead-Based Paint In Your Home Part 3 Of 3

What Homeowners Should Know About Lead-Based Paint Repairs And Renovations

The EPA’s Lead Renovation, Repair And Painting (RRP) Rule

Repairs, renovations and even painting projects can disrupt lead-based paint and create harmful dust and paint chips. Firms that make repairs, perform renovations or do painting projects in homes, preschools or childcare facilities that were built before 1978 are required by The Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule to be certified by the EPA and to use only employees who were also certified and trained by training providers approved by the EPA to follow “lead-safe work practices.”

Alabama, Georgia, Iowa, Kansa, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin are authorized by the EPA to administer their own Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting programs instead of the federal one, so contractors in those states must conform to the state training and certification requirements.

Doing Renovations In A Home Built Before 1978

It does not take a lot of lead dust to poison your family and cause health risks. If your home was built prior to 1978 and you are planning to make repairs or do renovations, follow the EPA guidelines and hire a Lead-Safe Certified contractor. Look for the green seal with the EPA logo and an identification number.

Replacing windows, sanding, cutting and other common repair, renovation, and painting projects can disrupt lead-based paint and become a health hazard for your family. Contractors who have been trained through EPA-approved courses and certified by the EPA have been taught careful work practices and how to clean up thoroughly. They know how to do your repair or renovation safely and how to keep your family protected from lead-based paint hazards.

It is against federal law for any contractor who is not lead-safe certified to work in a home or childcare facility that was built prior to 1978.

See part 2 of our 3 part series on lead-based paint to learn how to make your home safe from lead-based paint hazards.

If you're doing home repairs or renovations yourself:

1. Make sure that you maintain safety while you work by following these steps:

• Remove all curtains, area rugs, furniture, clothing, food and all other items in the household and keep them out until you are done with the clean up
• Tightly wrap plastic sheeting around all items that you cannot remove from the area and use tape to seal the plastic sheeting.
• Cover the floors with plastic sheeting.
• For larger jobs, construct an airlock at the beginning of the work area. Use two sheets of thick plastic to make the airlock. Tape one sheet along all four sides. Cut the plastic sheet down the middle. Tape the second plastic sheet along the top to act as a flap to cover the slit in the first plastic sheet.
• Turn off air-conditioning and forced-air heating systems. Put plastic sheeting over the vents and tape it into place.
• Make sure all windows in the area of work are closed.
• Spray water on any lead-based paint surfaces that get disturbed when you're using a hand tool, in order to prevent lead dust from spreading.

2. Make sure you have the proper equipment:

• A vacuum cleaner with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. Do not use a regular household vacuum. They can release hazardous particles into the air.
• A disposable respirator that is NIOSH-certified and that has a HEPA filter (P-100, R-100, or N-100)
• An all-purpose cleaner and two buckets. One bucket is for the cleaning solution and the other will be used for rinsing. Replace sponges, mops and rags frequently and change the water in the rinsing bucket often.
• Equipment for wet-sanding (for example, a spray mister), “wet methods” sponges for wet sanding and wet/dry abrasive paper
• Heavy-duty plastic bags and heavy-duty plastic sheeting
• Tape for sealing the plastic sheeting in place
• Protective clothing, including coveralls, hats, goggles, shoe covers, gloves and face shields. Launder all clothes you wear while doing this work separately from other clothing.

3. Make sure you use safe work practices:

Follow the guidelines in the EPA’s manual “Steps to Lead Safe Renovation, Repair and Painting.” The manual is available at www.epa.gov/lead or by calling 1-800-424-LEAD.

4. Think about hiring a Certified Lead Inspector or Abatement Contractor:

If you cut into anything that has been painted with lead paint, even if the lead paint is under layer upon layer of more recent paint, you may release harmful lead dust. You can lower the risk of anyone in your home being exposed to lead if you have an inspection by a certified lead inspector to find out if you have lead paint in the area you plan to work. If the inspection finds lead, then you might want to hire a trained and certified lead abatement contractor to safely remove the lead before you start work on your reno project.

5. Think about hiring a Certified RRP Contractor:

If you think there may be lead paint in your house, it is a good idea to hire a trained lead-safe certified RRP contractor. Lead-safe certified RRP contractors are trained in how to use special methods to complete the project while minimizing dust and how to clean up completely to lower the risk of contaminating other areas with lead.

Find a local lead professional in our contractor directory.

To learn more about your rights as a homeowner or renter when it comes to lead-based paint read part one of this series. For more about lead-paint home inspections, read part two of this series.