Lead Paint - Landon Construction Lead Paint
Lead Paint - Landon Construction Lead Paint
Lead Paint - Landon Construction Lead Paint

Making Your Home Safe

Instead of addressing homes after a child is poisoned, ensure that poisoning does not occur in the first place. There are several ways to reduce your family's lead exposure, ranging from partial measures that reduce immediate exposure, to abatement (complete removal of lead-based paint).

Quick Facts About Lead Based Paint

  • Exposure to lead-based paint can be harmful to both children and adults
  • Three-quarters of the homes built before 1978 contain some lead-based paint.
  • Test your home and family for lead if you think a potential hazard exists. Self test kits can be purchased at most lumber or home improvement stores.
  • Temporary measures to reduce lead exposure range from following specified cleaning techniques to good nutrition.
  • Permanent measures include component removal and replacement, paint removal, and covering painted surfaces.

Why hire a Licensed Contractor to Remove Lead-Based Paint?

Measures to permanently eliminate lead dust hazards include component removal and replacement, paint removal, and covering surfaces. There is no completely safe method for do-it-yourself removal of lead-based paint. Each paint removal method -- sandpaper, scrapers, chemicals, and heat guns -- can produce lead fumes or dust in the air that can be inhaled. Dust can settle on floors, walls and tables. It can be ingested through hand-to-mouth contact and re-enter the air through cleaning (such as sweeping or vacuuming) or when people move throughout the house.

Landon Construction follows these guidelines for all abatement jobs.

  • Seal the room from the rest of the house. Remove all furniture, rugs and drapes. Cover floors, windows and doorways with heavy plastic sheeting and seal with duct tape.
  • Turn off forced-air heating and air conditioning systems.
  • Workers wear protective clothing and shoes as well as respirators designed to avoid inhaling (high efficiency particulate absorption [HEPA] respirators).
  • Do not eat, drink, or smoke in the work area. Remove all food and eating utensils from the room. Cover and seal all cabinets and food contact surfaces.
  • Keep children and other occupants (especially infants, pregnant women, and adults with high blood pressure) out of the house until the job is complete.
  • Standard dry sanding and dry scraping methods create airborne dust and are not acceptable. Remove loose and flaking paint by wet methods such as spraying the surface with water, gently scraping off the loose paint, and collecting debris (on a disposable drop cloth).
  • Carefully collect construction debris into plastic bags and seal for disposal according to local ordinances. Remove plastic sheeting by rolling or folding inward.
  • Schedule final cleanup and removal of plastic bags at least one day after work is complete to allow any airborne dust to settle. Clean up the entire area using a special vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter. This is a special type of vacuum cleaner that removes small lead particles from surfaces and keeps them inside the vacuum cleaner. After vacuuming, wet wash the area with a TSP solution and vacuum with a HEPA vacuum.
  • Dispose of clothing worn in the room after working. Work clothing should not be worn in other areas of the house and workers should shower and wash hair after finishing work.
  • Test work areas for lead dust contamination after final cleanup. If you decide to remove lead-based paint yourself, understand these procedures.

Except for the most elementary measures, dealing with lead removal is a complex task and implementation may be affected by local regulations. In most instances lead-based paint should be removed by professionals who follow detailed procedures to minimize, control and contain the lead dust created by the removal process. Lead Exposure PosterLandon Construction has completed all available training and continuing education for this process, local and state. Let our experience with the removal of these contaminants help you rest a little easier about your family’s safety.