Despite extensive public outcry over high levels of lead in their plumbing, paint, and even in their backyards, the statistics are shocking: more than 75% of all homes in American still contain lead paint. More than 3 million toddlers and preschoolers — one in six American children — have toxic levels of lead in their bloodstreams. Although commercially available paints now have severely limited allowable levels of lead, there is still a huge risk from ambient lead in old homes.
Lead was used for many decades in paint, and the vast majority of homes and offices that were built before 1940 do have toxic levels of lead paint on their walls: young children have an incredibly high risk of lead poisoning because they may teethe on windowsills that have lead paint on them. They may also stir up lead dust during their play: many American homes’ backyards also have troubling amounts of lead in their soil. Our government has been hard at work reducing the allowable amounts of lead in paint, but many older homes’ plumbing systems have lead in the pipes as a joining material. The only way to completely avoid lead on a property is to tear down a home, tear out its plumbing, and start from scratch with new, lead-free paint and sewer systems.
Of course, there are new plumbing options that can eliminate lead in pipes: trenchless plumbing options can actually install an entirely new water, sewer, or gas system into existing pipework. Contractors with lead renovator training can examine the home’s plumbing first and then install brand-new epoxy linings that will not bloom past existing holes or defects in pipes. Homeowners can also search for contractors online who have a lead paint certification: these contractors can help homeowners to make decisions about how to deal with existing lead contamination on their properties. It can be a worrisome topic, but you can eradicate lead with the help of a contractor.
Lead has been linked with childhood intellectual disability and with a variety of physical ailments: if your contractor has a lead paint certification and they tell you that your home is contaminated, you may have to remove all traces of lead paint from your property. Lead paint certification is something that can be renewed over time: look for contractors with current lead paint certification courses. Talk to contractors about testing your home’s walls, plumbing, and soil: children who play in contaminated soil could run the risk of serious injury in the long-term.
A certified lead renovator can help you decide how to best make repairs. Make sure that you check surfaces in your attic and basement, if you have them. Lead dust is incredibly mobile and can move through your home’s HVAC. Contractors who have obtained professional lead certification training should be available locally to assess the extent of the damage to your property: if pets have become mysteriously ill, it is always wise to test the walls near where they eat and to test their water and food for ambient lead dust. Your pet may be licking lead dust or playing in a part of your yard that tests high for contamination by lead.
Lead paint remains a serious threat to American homeowners: toxic levels of lead dust are worse for your system than mold and asbestos put together. There are millions of children whose parents are mystified at their illnesses, but have they been playing in a contaminated backyard? The government continues to mandate lower levels of lead in paint, but parents have to take it upon themselves to test every corner of their own homes. An important first step is to look for a contractor with lead renovator certification training, and to let them lay out a plan for comprehensive lead paint removal from your home or business property. The health of your entire family may depend upon your decisive renovation plans.
