This week I became an EPA lead-certified renovator. My newly purchased home falls into the category of buildings built before 1978 that have lead paint in them. As I begin renovating my 1919 Craftsman I wanted to make sure I had the knowledge to go about it safely.
It was an 8 hour classroom course that covered everything from the dangers of lead dust, to personal protection gear, to securing areas of renovation and proper clean up. You have to take a test at the end to acquire your certification, and here in Washington every worker that will be disturbing paint in your home is required to be certified. The penalty for not being certified (in construction, not as a homeowner) and not abiding to the proper procedures is $37,500 per day.
I was the only female and the only non-construction professional in the course, but I now not only know how to do things right during my own DIY renovations, but also what procedures need to be followed when I hire work out.
If you live in a home that was built before 1978, the chances of it having lead-based paint are 7 out of 10 and get higher as the age grows. If it remains undisturbed under years of layered paint then it causes absolutely no harm, but if you are planning on sanding or tearing things down it's best to know how to do things correctly so it is safe for you and your family.
There is a lot of information out there, and courses you can take to dive a little deeper. This goes for dealing with asbestos as well.
Here is some info to get you started:
Getting your house tested: Know where the lead is and where it isn't before you start your project. There are EPA approved DIY test kits that you can purchase, including 3M Lead Check Swabs and the D-Lead Test Kit. If you want results that are 100% accurate, you can hire a lead abatement company to come over and test with an XRF gun.
Knowledge is Power: If you are interested in finding out more information, you can start by going to the EPA's website and catch up on some of their renovate right brochures online. Here is another great pamphlet from the Australian Environmental Agency.
Learn First-Hand: If you want to really get into it, you can take a hands-on course like I did. I took mine at Argus Pacific in Seattle. You can look up places in your hometown that give courses or call the EPA lead hotline for more help.
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good reminder for people.
Thank you so much - we live in a 1920s bungalow with original paint underneath and its' starting to flake. I never thought about taking a course myself - my husband will be less than thrilled however since now something that had to be left to contractors is now on my DIY list.
How much did it cost to take your course? I looked at the website but it didn't list prices. I've just trying to get a general idea. We just moved into a 1911 house and I am positive there is lead paint throughout (unless maybe they didn't use lead paint *before* a certain time? I doubt it, plus the layers...).
Arabellajane:you might want to look into this more before you decide to DIY. If there is lead paint, you'll need equipment, like a special vacuum with a HEPA filter to follow the procedures correctly.
I'm thinking, don't you need a license to do this, and that is why they have special companys that handle these projects. I believe there are special laws on this.
Thanks for the informative post! I was given some children's play kitchen furniture that was made by a family member, 50+ years ago. As much as I wanted it, the paint was peeling and it tested positive for lead. I have nowhere in my condo to re-finish furniture safely (2 kids under age 4), so I had to pass it on to another relative.
Contractors do need to be certified, but DIY-ers need to be very careful! Where I live, nearly every home that would be affordable to me is pre-1978, so I'll need to budget for lead-certified professionals if any renovation is needed. Thanks again for sharing!
@ Zachs the certification course I took was $250
@ Designade, yes you need special equipment like the Hepa Vac to do this properly. These are the things you learn in the course.
@ OJanet. I took a course that made me a certified lead renovator by the EPA. It's the same course that all contractors are required to take by law. If you have the money you can have a lead abatement company come in and get rid of your lead. DIY'ers are not required to take it. That is what this post is about, to educate yourself in how to do things correctly if you are going to start tearing things apart without knowledge of what you're doing. It's always better to be safe than sorry.
I think the lead paint cert training is important for occupant safety and workman safety. Although the EPA only requires typically one cert per painting company; I have voluntarily sent 5 managers to
Lead Renovator Training.
Good for you for being an educated homeowner! Good information in this post.
there is a film being made about lead paint, etc. i don't know if i'm allowed to post the webpage? but i'll try! if you have young children- extra precaution should be used. http://www.facebook.com/MisleadMovie
1913 homeowner here, I use infared heat and carbide blades to strip paint, the paint comes off in nice big chunks so clean up is easier and there is lest dust, and the dust is main thing you want to avoid. paint chips can be contained and cleaned up easy, dust not so much. Sanding lead paint off of exterior siding is unacceptable, you spread lead dust everywhere. infared heat (don't use regular heat guns or you risk burning a house down or even releasing toxic fumes from the lead) and steam methods are the best bet, chemical strippers can work great at getting the paint off, however you risk having adhesion problems afterwards with the new paint.
As for my opinion having this kind of vintage house needs to hire professional contractors, such as Paint contractor Denver CO to do the work. Since they have more experiences with this kind of task, it is much simpler to do this way. However, if homeowners are bold enough to do it on their own, then this is really a good advise.
As for my opinion having this kind of vintage house needs to hire professional contractors, such as Paint contractor Denver CO to do the work. Since they have more experiences with this kind of task, it is much simpler to do this way. However, if homeowners are bold enough to do it on their own, then this is really a good advise.