Lead paint was banned from residential use in 1978, so if your home was built in the seventies or earlier, it could have lead paint in it. Lead paint is especially hazardous to young children, and this may be one of your concerns if you're pregnant or have toddlers when you move into an old house. You may want to talk with a lead paint abatement professional about cleaning out the old paint so your kids are not at risk of lead poisoning, and so you can continue with your renovation plans safely. Here are some things to know.

Lead Paint Can Pose A Threat Even When It's Covered

Since lead paint has been banned for decades, your house has probably had a few coats of paint applied over it since then. That doesn't eliminate the risk of lead exposure, however. While eating lead paint chips is one potential way for kids to get lead poisoning, another is eating or breathing lead paint dust. If there is lead paint dust in the house, which can accumulate around windows and other areas that degrade due to friction, then your kids could get the dust on their hands and then into their mouths.

Wall Condition Is A Clue To The Threat Level

If there are rooms in your old house that have cracked and peeling paint or bubbles under the paint, the risk of lead exposure is much greater since the fumes and dust can escape more easily. Plus, kids may pick at chipped paint areas and put themselves at risk of exposure. When you hire a lead paint abatement service, the first thing they do is assess the condition of the walls, paint, and building materials. This helps them determine if your house is safe for young children in its present condition and what needs to be done to get rid of the lead paint.

Possible Options For Lead Paint Abatement

If a wall is in excellent condition, it might be possible to encapsulate the lead paint. This involves painting over the wall with a special coating that traps dust and fumes from escaping. This method is not always a good choice since the lead paint will still be in your home and a potential threat to your family. An abatement contractor can help you decide if encapsulation is a good choice.

The best way to deal with lead paint could be to have it removed by a professional lead abatement company that has the skills and equipment to do the work safely and properly. This might entail removing the paint from the walls, but it might also entail removing the walls themselves and starting over with fresh building materials. Your contractor may even use different methods of abatement depending on the materials being treated, since your home may have other painted surfaces such as stairs and window sills that need to have lead paint removed as well.

Lead paint abatement can be a big undertaking, but the first step is to have your home checked to determine if it has lead paint. It's possible the paint was already removed at some point in the past or the contractor may have built the home without using lead paint. Once you know how much lead paint your home contains and the risk level for exposure, then you can work with an abatement contractor to come up with a plan that makes your home safer and gives you peace of mind that your children aren't at risk for lead exposure. Contact a company like Colfax Corporation in order to learn more about lead paint abatement services near you.

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