THE DANGERS OF
LEAD PAINT
Many houses built before 1978 have paint that contains lead (called lead-based paint). Lead from paint, chips, and dust can pose serious health hazards, if not taken care of properly. In 1996 federal law requires that individuals receive certain information before renting, buying, or renovating pre-1978 housing. Sellers have to disclose known information on lead-based paint hazards before selling a house. Sales contracts will include a federal form about lead-based paint in the building. Buyers will have up yo 10 days to check for lead hazards. Renovators will have to give you the information in this article before starting work.
LEAD
GETS IN THE BODY IN MANY WAYS
One out of every eleven children in the United States has dangerous levels
of lead in their bloodstream. Even children who appear healthy can have dangerous
levels of lead. People can get lead in their body if they: put their hands
or other objects covered with lead dust in their mouths, eat paint chips or
soil that contain lead, or breathe in lead dust (especially during renovations
that disturb painted surfaces). Lead is even more dangerous to children than
adults because children's growing bodies absorb more lead and their brains
and nervous systems are more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead. If
not detected early, children with high levels of lead in their bodies can
suffer from: damage to the brain and nervous system, behavior and learning
problems (such as hyperactivity), slowed growth, hearing problems and headaches.
Lead is also harmful to adults. Adults can suffer from difficulties during
pregnancy and other reproductive problems (in both men and women). Other effects
are high blood pressure, digestive problems, nerve disorders, memory and concentration
problems, and muscle and joint pain. Lead can affect the body in many ways.
CHECKING
YOUR FAMILY FOR LEAD
Get your children tested if you think your home has high levels of lead. A
simple blood test can detect lead levels. Blood tests are important for children
who are 6 months to 1 year old (6 months if you live in an older home that
might have lead in the paint) and family members you think might have high
levels of lead. If your child is older than 1 year, talk to your doctor about
whether your child needs testing. Your doctor or health center can do the
blood tests. They are inexpensive and sometimes free. Your doctor will explain
what the test results mean. Treatment can range from changes in your diet
to medication or a hospital stay.
WHERE
LEAD-BASED PAINT IS FOUND
In general, the older your home, the more likely it has lead-based paint.
Many homes built before 1978 have lead based paint. In 1978, the federal government
banned lead-based paint from housing. Lead can be found in single family homes
and apartments, inside and outside the house, in soil around a home. (Soil
can pick up lead from exterior paint, or other sources such as past use of
leaded gas in cars.) Lead is most likely to be a hazard in paint chips, which
you can see, and lead dust, which you cannot always see. Lead-based paint
that is in good condition is usually not a hazard. Peeling, chipping, chalking,
or cracking lead-based paint is a hazard and needs immediate attention. Lead-based
paint may also be a hazard when found on surfaces that children can chew or
that gets a lot of wear and tear, These areas include: windows and window
sills, doors and door frames, stairs, railings and banisters, and porches
and fences. Lead dust can form when lead-based paint is dry scraped, dry sanded,
or heated. Dust also forms when painted surfaces bump or rub together. Lead
chips and dust can get on surfaces and objects that people touch. Settled
lead dust can reenter the air when people vacuum, sweep, or walk through it.
Lead in soil can be a hazard when children play in bare soil or when people
bring soil into the house on their shoes.
CHECKING
YOUR HOME FOR LEAD HAZARDS
Just knowing a home has lead-based paint may not tell you if there is a hazard.
You can get your home checked for lead hazards in two ways, or both:
1. a paint inspection tells you the lead content of every painted surface in your home
2. a risk assessment tells you if there are any sources of serious lead exposure (such as peeling.paint..and lead dust). It also tells you what actions to take to address these hazards.
Have qualified professionals do the work. Trained professionals use a range of methods when checking your home, including visual inspection of paint condition and location, lab tests of paint samples, surface dust tests, and a portable x-ray fluorescence machine. Home test kits for lead are available, but should not be the only method used before doing renovations or to assure safety.
WHAT
YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT YOUR FAMILY
If you suspect that your house has lead hazard, you can take some immediate
steps to reduce your family's risk. Clean up paint chips immediately. Clean
floors, window frames, window sills, and other surfaces weekly. Use a mop
or sponge with warm water and a general purpose cleaner or a cleaner made
specifically for lead. Thoroughly rinse sponges and mop heads after cleaning
dirty or dusty areas. Wash children's hands often, especially before they
eat and before nap time and bed time. Keep children from chewing window sills
and other painted surfaces. Clean or remove shoes before entering your home
to avoid tracking in lead from soil. Make sure children eat nutritious, low
fat meals high in iron and calcium, such as spinach and low-fat dairy product.
Children with good diets absorb less lead. Removing lead improperly can increase
the hazard to your family by spreading even more lead dust around the house.
Always use a professional who is trained to remove lead hazards safely. In
addition to day to day cleaning and good nutrition you can temporarily reduce
lead hazards by taking actions like repairing damaged painted surfaces and
planting grass to cover soil with high lead levels. These actions (called
"interim controls") are not permanent solutions and will not eliminate all
risks of exposure. To permanently remove lead hazards, you must hire a lead
"abatement" contractor. Abatement (or permanent hazard elimination) methods
include removing, sealing, or enclosing lead-based paint with special materials.
Just painting over the hazard with regular paint is not enough. Always hire
a person with special training for correcting lead problems, someone who knows
how to do this work safely and has the proper equipment to clean up thoroughly.
If possible, hire a certified leads abatement contractor. Certified contractors
will employ qualified workers and follow safety rules set by the state or
the federal government.
REMODELING
A HOME WITH LEAD-BASED PAINT
If not conducted properly, certain types of renovations can release lead from
paint and dust into the air. Take precautions before you begin remodeling
or renovations that disturb painted surfaces (such as scraping off paint or
tearing out walls). These include: Have the area tested for lead-based paint.
Do not use a dry scraper, belt sander, propane torch, or heat gun to remove
lead-based paint. These actions create large amounts of lead dust and fumes.
Lead dust can remain in your home long after the work is done. Temporarily
move your family (especially children and pregnant women) out of your house
until the work is done and the area is properly cleaned. If you can't move
your family, at least completely seal off the work area. If you have already
completed renovations or remodeling that could have released lead-based paint
or dust, get your young children tested and follow the steps outlined above.
OTHER
SOURCES OF LEAD
While paint, dust, and soil are the most common lead hazards, other lead sources
also exist. Drinking water. Your home might have plumbing with lead or lead
solder. Call your water supplier about testing your water. You cannot see,
smell or taste lead, and boiling your water will not get rid of lead. If you
think your plumbing might have lead in it, then use only cold water for drinking
and cooking. Also run water for 15 to 30 seconds before drinking it especially
if you have not used your water for a few hours. On the Job. If you work with
lead, you could bring it home on your hands or clothes. Shower and change
clothes before coming home. Launder your clothes separately from the rest
of your family's. Miscellaneous Sources. Old painted toys and furniture. Food
and liquids stored in lead crystal or lead-glazed pottery or porcelain. Lead
smelters or other industries that release lead into the air. Hobbies that
use lead, such as making pottery or stained glass, or refinishing furniture.
Folk remedies that contain lead, such as "greta" and "azarcon" used to treat
an upset stomach.
This
article was provided by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. For more information
on lead hazards call the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-LEAD-FYI
WHAT IS DRY ROT?
Every year, homeowners spend billions of dollars on remodeling. Total renovations, extensive additions, or small changes can bring excitement, beauty, comfort and security to our lives. But unless done correctly, these projects can cause substantial financial hardship and mental anguish. Why? Because homeowners spend billions more dollars every year to repair the damage caused by moisture intrusion. Commonly called "dry rot," it occurs in both new and old dwellings that have not been adequately sealed. If proper weather protection measures are taken during original construction or remodeling, a sealing maintenance program is relatively painless and reasonable in cost. When ignored, omitted or overlooked, dry rot becomes a homeowner's worst nightmare.
The term "dry rot" is actually a misnomer. Generally, it is used to describe wood decay. More accurately, it is the decay of seasoned wood, caused by certain fungi capable of carrying water into the wood they infest. In advanced stages, the wood becomes crumbly and powdery, losing all of its structural integrity. Further, unless the avenue of moisture intrusion is sealed off and the infested wood and water concentration removed, the deterioration continues.
Why
is dry rot such a nemesis?
First, dry rot is virtually invisible to the untrained eye until its advanced
stages. Second, most homeowners have no way of determining if slipshod building
practices were employed during the original construction. This is particularly
true in newer dwellings where unsuspecting buyers would assume no dry rot
could possibly have taken hold in such a short time. Third, natural phenomena
(seismic movement, settling, compression, wind and flooding) can render a
structure less than watertight -- quickly and often imperceptibly. Plus, we
cannot ignore plain old aging. However, no one factor wreaks as much financial
havoc nor as many emotional headaches as the ostrich approach to dry rot:
deferring water protection maintenance.
How
can dry rot be controlled?
Like your skin, the exterior surface of your home is a very important membrane
that needs to be carefully tended. This membrane is the combination of all
exterior surfaces, such as roof, walls, and foundations; opening such as doors,
windows, and skylights; attachments such as stairs, decks, patios, gutters
and trim; penetrations for plumbing, wiring, drains; and any joints or intersections
of two or more components. All require regular, concerted maintenance if the
structure is to remain dry and sound.
How
do I know if my home needs moisture protection?
The extent of the damage caused by moisture intrusion cannot be readily assessed
without actually opening and thoroughly inspecting the interior structural
condition of the concerned walls, decks or roof systems. Unfortunately, many
contractors neither understand this process nor care to undertake it.
How
much time and money will it take to determine the extent of the dry rot problem?
The cost and schedule for a major addition to a home can be made fairly accurately,
well before any construction begins. In dramatic contrast, a fairly accurate
dry rot repair cost cannot be estimated until the damaged parameters are thoroughly
defined. The ensuing delay can be very unsettling to the homeowner, who is
understandably more comfortable making financial arrangements in advance.
Unfortunately, where dry rot is concerned, an estimate is more often a "guesstimate."
If you have dry rot, it is nearly always safe to assume that the cost and
delays created by undetected dry rot problems will be considerable.