Lead paint abatement, what's the deal?
Hello, We are recently in contract on a house that needs a ton of work, not the least of it will be a complete top to bottom interior paint job. The house is circa 1898, so we assume the paint is lead based. My question is do we need to go through the lead paint…
Hello,
We are recently in contract on a house that needs a ton of work, not the least of it will be a complete top to bottom interior paint job. The house is circa 1898, so we assume the paint is lead based.
My question is do we need to go through the lead paint abatement process? Do people paint over this?
Also, if you gone through this and could recommend a reliable lead paint removal co/painter that would be super.
Many thanks,
11218
Based on my experience, very few NYC contracters are licensed to work with lead-based paint.
Also, while is safe to assume that “most” Brooklyn homes built before the 50’s have lead-based paint, the amount and location vary wildly. It is not, unusual to find lead paint only on the first (public) floor or only on woodwork. The quality of finishes often decreases as you move up the building.
If someone is going to do a lot of work in a home, I believe it is very useful to know where the lead paint is vs. is not. This allows one to know when and where additional precautions should take place.
This is based on my experience performing hundreds of XRF inspections in Brooklyn homes, schools and churches.
Otherwise, refer to the EPA link posted by smokeychimp and ensure you do a very good cleaning (white glove level) after the work is complete and keep your painted surfaces intact.
Almost any contractor in NYC with a home improvement license will also be licensed to work with lead paint as well. Lead paint is found in almost any paint made prior to 1965, so as you could imagine it’s safe to say there is lead paint in every older building in the city. There are precautions to take when during demolition, and the government has excellent guides available if you want to learn more, for example:
http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/leadpdfe.pdf
As I understand the law it is ok to paint over existing paint. Paint that is chipping is a problem, as is anything else that breaks the paint and could put the particles airborne. The pertinent regs are on nyc.gov. I would not go through the lead testing or abatement process unless you are made aware of an unsafe condition.