Lead-Safe Painting

If you have a home that was built before 1978, there’s a chance that there was lead-based paint used somewhere on it. The older the house, the more likely it is that you will have a lead paint risk to deal with. If store-bought lead test kits turn up negative results, we strongly recommend hiring a certified lead inspector to test your home. If it proves to be lead-free, you could have your home certified as lead-free, and would not have to follow any of the new rules on working with lead-contaminated structures.

However if you have not done the testing, pre ’78 homes must be considered potential lead exposure risks and a special set of procedures and regulations kick into effect. We at Green Mountain Painters are fully lead-certified, are experts at following the rules, and have developed the tools & methods to get your job done efficiently despite the complex and critical regulations in place. You can rest easy knowing that your family will be safe and protected from the risk of lead exposure while we produce an industry-leading stabilized substrate paint job that will beautify your home and provide long-lasting protection for years to come.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT, IF YOU HAVE A HOME WITH LEAD-BASED PAINT, TO HIRE A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL
A lot of companies can claim to be “lead certified”, meaning they have taken the requisite 8-hour course administered by the EPA. Relatively few companies, however, follow up on that training by implementing the full set of safety standards required by the training. Failure to effectively mitigate the risk of lead exposure puts you and your family at risk of poisoning, and opens up massive liability issues related to environmental and cross-property contamination. If you hire a contractor to paint your home, you should discuss their plan & procedures for lead compliance and they should, at minimum, guarantee the following guidelines:

• Close, seal or mask all windows/doors within work zones prior to commencing prep work
• Post applicable signage & limit access to work zones wherever possible
• Set up full lead containment zones for prep (EPA minimum standards + performance-based containment), which includes poly sheeting taped to walls, performance based curbs, & vertical containment as neccessary
• Keep surfaces misted wet while conducting scraping/hand-sanding work to minimize airborne lead dust
• Clean exposed/contaminated horizontal surfaces with HEPA VAC after scraping is complete
• Dispose of all waste in accordance with EPA guidelines
• Maintain worker protection & lead-safe work practices throughout the duration of the job (VOSHA standards)
• Workers must wear full & proper personal protective equipment, including gloves, eye protection and full-body coveralls (haz-mat suits) when working within lead zones
• Workers must don protective respirators (minimum p-100) while working within lead zones
• Hygenic facilities (washing stations) must be provided at entrance/exit of lead zones.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your lead-safe painting project, the rules & regulations that apply, or what your obligation as a home/property owner are, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Green Mountain Painters for guidance and/or a free Estimate & Consultation.